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Vale of Glamorgan trials soft plastic collections

A trial collection service for soft plastics is set to be launched imminently by the Vale of Glamorgan.  

Tim Llewellyn Vale of Glamorgan Flexible Plastics Collection
Image credit: Tim Llewellyn

The trial extends to 16,000 homes in the Eastern Vale which includes Penarth, Dinas Powys, Llandough, Sully and surrounding areas. 

Starting on 21 April 2025, the scheme will run for nine months and will see residents from a variety of housing types and areas take part.  

The collected soft plastics will be recycled into new products including Bags for Life and bin bags.  

The Welsh council said that 9.8% of the contents of the bin bags it collects is made up of soft plastics. 

Under Simpler Recycling, all councils in England will be obligated to offer the kerbside collection of soft plastics (also known as flexible plastics) by 31 March 2027. 

How will the trial work? 

The Vale of Glamorgan council is in the process of delivering new rolls of 56 blue sacks and an instruction leaflet to the homes that are included in the scheme.  

Residents will be asked to place empty soft plastics into the blue sacks and once filled tie them with a double knot. The blue bags can then be put inside the standard blue plastic and metals recycling bag on standard collection days. 

The blue sacks themselves will also be recycled alongside the other soft plastics. 

Additional rolls of blue sacks can be collected from libraries from June, but the council expects only one sack to be used per household per week.  

The soft plastics that will be collected includes: 

Crisp packets are included in the scheme. Image credit: Shutterstock
  • Plastic bags, including carrier bags, pasta bags, pet food bags and parcel bags 
  • Crisp and nut packets 
  • Biscuit packets and chocolate or sweet wrappers 
  • Films, such as ready meal lids 
  • Plastic labels and wrapping from drinks bottles 

Cling film, pouches or sachets (for example from microwavable rice or sharing bags of sweets), plastic netting, polystyrene or foam, plastic straws and plastic cutlery cannot be included.  

The council said that residents who live in the trial area but have not received their blue sacks by 25 April should fill in an online form that will be available on its website. 

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