Trial programme aims to recycle more plastics
A trial is set to begin this summer which will see a number of households in Wirral being asked to place currently unrecyclable plastic bags and wrapping into a separate collection bag so they can be sent for recycling.
As part of the trial, residents will be given a supply of blue bags within which they will be asked to put packaging items such as sweet wrappers, foil-lined packets, pouches and sachets, cheese, fish and meat wrapping, bubble wrap, cling film, plastic film and plastic bags that things like bread, cereal and loose fruit and vegetables come in.
They can even put any plastic carrier bags that are no longer reusable in there.
Once their bags are full, residents will be asked to tie them in a double knot and place the bag in their grey recycling bin – it will then be collected along with the rest of their recycling on their usual scheduled grey bin collection day.
From this week, the households that are being asked to take part in this 10-week trial will receive information telling them they have been selected and what will be expected of them. The trial itself will run from June to August 2025 and will help the council and its partners to understand about the collection and processing involved with recycling these items and how it will work in Wirral.
At the moment, the kind of items covered in this trial are not recyclable through the grey bin as they cannot be successfully separated from the rest of the waste and can cause issues for the machinery at the recycling plant.
Putting them in a separate bag within the recycling bin – as long as they are clean and cleaned of any food residue – should help overcome that issue. It should also lead to a marked improvement in the recycle rates as in the UK currently only around 6% of plastic bags and wrapping materials are being recycled.
The blue bags will be removed from the recycling and the items contained within it will go to another facility to be processed, melted and converted into a material that can be used to make benches and planters.
Along with the information the residents taking part in the trial will receive telling them what can be recycled and how, they will also be told what items cannot go in the blue bag. This includes things such as plastic bottles, pots, tubs or trays, plastic straws, cups or cutlery, ready meal trays, disposable gloves or masks, gift wrapping, balloons and blister packs used for pills and medication.
The trial is being run by Wirral Council and its partners such as Veolia, Biffa, Liverpool City Region’s Waste Partnership and Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority.
Veolia is proud to be a part of this innovative trial to process plastic bags and wrapping separately from other materials in Wirral. This will help to pave the way for expanded recycling services in line with Simpler Recycling, driving a circular economy to benefit both communities and the environment.
In preparation for Simpler Recycling we are happy to support our partners with this trial and we look forward to seeing the results that will assist us in shaping recycling services for the future.
The trial will start from June 2nd 2025 and run for 10 weeks. A number of residents in Eastham, Rock Ferry, Noctorum, Pensby, Heswall, Greasby and Leasowe will be asked to take part.
Visit the Wirral Council website for more information on the trial
