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Recycling bag trial

We are trialling a new recycling bag with around 6,000 households. They will be given a new, reusable red bag for recycling:

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

Households that take part will use this new bag - as well as their existing recycling boxes - to recycle as much as they can. 

The existing green and black recycling boxes will be used to separate cardboard and paper from glass items.

The bags are being delivered over a two week period from 11 November to 22 November. Residents on the trial will be able to use their red bag as soon as it arrives.

The aim of the trial

The aim of this trial is to make recycling easier for residents and our collection crews. We want to:

  • provide trial households with extra space for more recycling
  • provide trial households with a simpler way to recycle without the need to sort different materials in the same box
  • see if it improves the quality of the recycling we collect
  • see if it speeds up collections

Reasons for the trial

There are a variety of reasons why we are conducting this trial:

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Feedback in our recent consultation

People that responded to our recent waste consultation told us:

  • they would like more space for recycling
  • they would like sorting recycling to be simpler
  • litter as a result of open recycling boxes is a concern

The bags will have a velcro closing top design to keep the plastic and metal packaging inside. The bag also has a weighted bottom to stop it from blowing around.

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.

We also hope that splitting cardboard and paper from glass (using the existing recycling boxes) will prevent them accidently getting mixed together. The glass currently 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.

In other local authorities bags have been shown to provide a good solution for the storage and collection of recycling. They 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.

To reduce congestion

Faster recycling collections are more efficient and help to reduce congestion in busy areas caused by recycling lorries on their rounds.

How we will monitor the trial

We will monitor the time it takes to collect recycling and assess the quality of the recycling coming into the depot from trial roads. We will ask crews for their feedback and also ask residents taking part in the trial for their feedback in early 2025.

If the trial is successful

If the recycling bag trial is successful, we will introduce the bag alongside three-weekly waste collections in 2025. 

Trial areas

Areas that had higher amounts of black bin waste and less recycling were chosen to take part in the trial. The six areas are:

  • Failand
  • Leigh Woods
  • Long Ashton
  • Portbury
  • Portishead
  • parts of Weston-super-Mare

The roads that will take part in these areas are listed on this page. Some of the roads are very long. Not all properties on the roads mentioned in this list will be part of the trial.

Failand

Beggar Bush LaneLongwood Lane
Belmont DriveManor Way
Birchwood DriveOld Chelsea Lane
Bowden WayOwen Drive
Clevedon RoadShort Way
Flax Bourton RoadSixty Acres Close
Green LaneWeston Road
Hill DriveWoodland Close
Jubilee DriveWoodland Way

 

Leigh Woods

Abbots Leigh RoadCypress Gardens
Bannerleigh LaneNorth Road
Bannerleigh RoadRownham Hill
Bridge RoadSt Mary's Road
Burwalls RoadValley Road
Church RoadVicarage Road

 

Long Ashton

Ashton CourtLampton Road
Bawns CloseLong Ashton Road
Bradville GardensLovelinch Gardens
Brocks LaneLynbrook
Brook CloseLyvedon Way
Catley GroveParsonage Road
Copford LanePaulman Gardens
Elmhurst GardensRaymore Rise
Fenshurst GardensRyecroft Rise
Gardeners WalkTheynes Croft
Glebe RoadTripps Row
Hobwell LaneWell Close
Holders WalkWeston Road
Hollis CloseYeo Lane
Keedwell HillYeomeads

 

Portbury

Moor Gate  Sheepway

 

Portishead

Aelfric MeadowLambourne Way
Biscay DriveMalin Parade
Blackthorn DriveMulberry Avenue
Cheviot MeadowMulberry Close
Conference AvenueNewfoundland Way
Conference ClosePaper Mill Gardens
Dandys MeadowPeartree Field
Finisterre ParadePhoenix Way
Folio DriveQueenscote
Forth AvenueSerbert Way
Galingale WayThe Bramleys
Haven ViewThe Park
HolmleaThe Pippins
Jacobs MeadowThe Russets
LadymeadTydeman Road

 

Weston-super-Mare

Greenfields WayWinterstoke Road

 

Weston-super-Mare - Haywood Village

Airoh EndMosquito End
Astazou DriveNimbus Road
Bofors TowerPeritrack Lane
Cadet DrivePima Road
Cherokee RoadPiper Cross
Cobham ParadeProctor Drive
Cody WalkRapide Way
Dragonfly WalkSlingsby Gardens
Glider AvenueThe Sidings
Hercules RoadTomahawk Road
Hosegood DriveTurmo Road
Leonides AvenueVictor Landing
Lincoln LaneWayfarer Close
Mamba GroveWharf Road
Martinet WalkWhitney Crescent
Miles Row 

 

Weston-super-Mare - Weston Village

Allans WayLanthony Close
Badgers WayLaws Drive
Bodley WayLongridge Way
Bransby WayMaunsell Road
Careys WayMontacute Circus
Carousel LaneMoor Lane
Compton DriveOld Mill Way
Dormeads ViewOsmond Road
Dungarvon RoadPollard Road
Eden CroftShrewsbury Bow
Eyers RoadStormont Court
Griffen RoadStroud Way
Heligan WalkThe Inclosures
Hestercombe CloseTrelissick Gardens
Hidcote MewsWakehurst Gardens
Honeysuckle PlaceWisley Walk
Jasmine WayWorle Moor Road
Kempe Way 

 

Weston-super-Mare - West Wick

Barker CloseLaw Grove
Baylie AvenueMorgan Close
Birkbeck ChaseNewton Walk
Blackburn WayOld Yeo Drive
Buckle PathOterhampton Gardens
Burgess GrovePrimrose Gardens
Chisholm TerraceScot Elm Drive
Clematis WaySummer Lane
De Salis ParkSunnybank Court
Five AcresSunnybank Way
Gardener CloseThompson Way
Gateway GroveWest Wick
Gator CourtWestley Mews
Harvest LaneWillan Place
Hayward AvenueWilson Gardens
Hedge CloseYew Tree Drive
Kent Avenue