recycling bin logo
Bins and recycling

Recycling bag trial

We trialled a new bag for recycling household plastic and metal packaging between November 2024 and February 2025. The trial involved around 6,000 households. 

Properties on the trial were given a new, reusable red bag for recycling, free of charge, to use as well as their existing recycling boxes to recycle as much as possible. Their existing recycling boxes were used to separate cardboard and paper from glass items. 

The red bag trial was very successful and following the end of the trial, these households can now continue to use the red bag alongside their recycling boxes.

Red bags for North Somerset households which were not on the trial, will start being delivered from the end of March 2025. Bags will have a new guide to recycling with sorting instructions inside them.

The bag is for:

  • household plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
  • metal packaging such as tins, cans, foil and aerosols 

Aims and outcomes of the trial

The trial came about as a result of feedback from the waste consultation in 2023 and rising demand for recycling boxes.

We wanted to:

  • provide trial households with extra space for more recycling- this was achieved by providing a 70 litre reusable, red bag to each property
  • provide trial households with a simpler way to recycle without the need to sort different materials in the same box - this was achieved as the red bag gave each property the extra container so there was no need to sort multiple materials in the same box
  • see if it improved the quality of the recycling we collect - monitoring and evaluation of the trial showed that for all roads monitored the level of sorting of recycling boxes had improved
  • see if it speeds up collections - data collected showed that on average the collection time after the bag introduction was six seconds slower than without the red bag, however the data collected after the introduction of the bags extended into the heavy Christmas collection period with great volumes to collect. Crew feedback now collections are established further suggests that the red bag doesn’t impact the speed of their collections

red recycling bag with black handles and the North Somerset logo on the side

Why we are introducing bags

Better quality recycling can be sold for more money

Recycling that is well-sorted is higher quality and can be sold for more money. This helps cover the cost of collections and generates an income to fund vital local services.

Splitting cardboard and paper from glass (using the existing recycling boxes) prevents them accidently getting mixed together. The glass causes damage to the machine which we use to bail the paper and cardboard into big cubes ready to be sold for recycling. 

The cost of recycling boxes has increased

The cost of recycling boxes has increased significantly over recent years. We are also experiencing high demand for replacement boxes as they are not very robust.

The bags are cheaper than recycling boxes and take up less room than boxes. This can provide a solution for households who already have limited space for their recycling.

Litter

Feedback from residents on the trial shows that the Velcro closing strip on the bag stops items from being blown onto the street. This reduces the amount of litter on collection days.

Increased space for more recycling

Waste collections will change to every three weeks later this year. This means households will need to recycle everything possible and some are likely to need extra space for their recycling. Providing a new bag for recycling provides that extra space without it taking up the same space as another box. 

 

More feedback from the trial

We asked trial residents for their feedback and received nearly 500 responses. The feedback and changes we have made for the wider introduction are:

  • colour on delivery was ‘salmon pink’ - the new bags will be red​
  • capacity of the bag was not big enough. -  the new bags are 90 litre bags instead of the 70 litre trial ones​
  • bags were not heavy enough and can blow away – the new bags will have a heavier weighted bottom of 750 grams
  • white print on the side of the bag was not easy to read – the print on the new bags is black ​
  • Velcro was a bit strong - this loosens after a few uses