Blue bags bring hope as Swansea tackles plastic waste at the kerb

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A Welsh council is launching an innovative kerbside recycling trial that will include soft plastic items such as crisp packets, plastic food wrapping, and plastic carrier bags in household waste collections. Until now, Swansea residents have had to take these soft plastics to local supermarkets for recycling, as kerbside options were unavailable. This new initiative aims to make recycling more convenient by collecting these materials directly from homes.

The trial will cover around 20,000 homes across 14 communities where household waste is collected on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, running from April to December. Swansea already boasts a recycling rate of approximately 70%, and surveys indicate that a significant portion of black bag waste consists of soft plastics.

In the coming weeks, residents in the trial areas will receive blue recycling sacks and an information leaflet detailing the scheme. Cyril Anderson, Swansea Council’s cabinet member for community, emphasized the city’s strong recycling performance and residents’ willingness to recycle more, particularly soft plastics currently discarded in black bags. He explained that the trial will help the council explore how to incorporate plastic bags and wrapping into existing kerbside collections.

The trial includes various types of housing to better understand collection challenges, with the goal of reducing black bag waste and increasing overall recycling rates.