North Herts Council is making it easier for you to recycle your plastic bags and wrapping so that we can all recycle better, together. For each other. For North Herts.
What is this pilot?
A trial recycling service for plastic bags and wrapping was introduced in your local area on 13 November 2023 plastic bags and wrapping are collected fortnightly on the same day as your normal recycling service via your recycling bin. This was a small-scale trial that has now expanded and if you are involved you will have received information about the trial in the post. The trial is available to a small number of residents at the start, however, over the course of the next two years, it will expand across other parts of North Herts.
Recycled plastic bags and wrapping can be used to make new plastic products such as plastic packaging, ‘bags for life’, boxes, bins, and agricultural and construction materials.
Recycling your plastic bags and wrapping is simple! Find out what to do below.
Not your council? Find your other participating councils here.
How to recycle your plastic bags and wrapping at home
- 1
Place your plastic bags and wrapping into the collection bags provided by North Herts Council.
- 2
Place only your plastic bags and wrapping in the blue collection bag, tie it with a double knot, and place in your recycling bin to stop the bag blowing away bin. Untied bags will cause contamination.
What to include
All plastic bags – carrier bags, salad/fruit/vegetable bags, frozen food bags, bread bags, cereal bags, flower bags
Confectionary wrappers – chocolate, sweets, biscuits, cakes, ice cream and chewing gum wrappers
Foil lined packaging – crisp packets, snack packets, coffee bags
Plastic film and sleeves – removable film lids, plastic sleeves for bottles and jars
Bubble wrap and cling film
Fruit and vegetable net bags
Cheese, fish, and meat wrapping
Outer layer bags and wrapping – multipack, toilet and kitchen roll, magazine, and newspaper wrapping
What not to include
All pouches, sachets, and packets – microwaveable food, baby food, pet food, cosmetics, detergent and cleaning pouches
Crisp tubes
Plastic straws or cutlery
Foam or polystyrene of any kind
Disposable gloves or masks
Balloons
Blister packs, pills, and tablets packaging
Compostable or biodegradable bags and wrapping
Plastic bottles, pots, tubs, or trays (please use your existing recycling bin)
All items should be dry, clean and free from any food.
Top tips
Keep your plastic bags and wrapping until you’ve collected enough to put them out on your collection day.
When putting your plastic bags and wrapping collection bag on the kerbside, place it securely in your recycling bin to stop the bag blowing away.
Where do I get more collection bags?
Remember to order more bags before you reach the end of your supply. If you need more collection bags, please visit North Herts Council recycling page.
FAQs
What are plastic bags and wrapping?
Plastic bags and wrapping refers to the flexible plastic packaging that typically bend easily and can include bags, pouches, sachets, removable lids/liners (yoghurt pot lids) and wrappings. Plastic bags and wrapping are most commonly used to protect products such as sweets/chocolates, snack foods, frozen foods, bakery, fresh produce, meat, dairy, pet food, processed foods, cosmetics, personal care, householder detergents, beverage bottle/can wrappings.
Why have you introduced a plastic bags and wrapping recycling collection service?
We’ve introduced a new trial service to help make recycling plastic bags and wrapping easier for you. Currently in the UK, only 6% of plastic bags and wrapping are recycled. Offering this service helps you and the rest of North Herts to recycle better, together. The trial is currently available to a small number of households, but it will gradually expand to more households over the next 2-3 years.
How long will the trial last?
The trial will start on 13 November 2023 and will run until March 2025. The trial will only be available to a small number of households at the start, however, over the course of 2-3 years, it will expand into other areas of North Herts. The service will go beyond 2025 when government legislation should provide the necessary funding for the service to continue.
Why is the trial only available to a small selection of households in the area?
The trial will run in three stages. The first stage only involves a small section of the area, however over time the service will expand to reach all households across North Herts. Running the trial in stages allows for the project to collect detailed insights and gain an understanding of the best methods to collect plastic bags and wrapping from homes.
Are there any other local authorities that are taking part in the trial?
There are several other local authorities involved in the trial.
Can I still take my plastic bags and wrapping to front of store points to recycle?
Now that a plastic bags and wrapping recycling collection trial is available from your home, you should use the kerbside service to recycle those items.
Why do I have to put plastic bags and wrapping in the collection bag? Why can’t I just put it in my recycling bin?
The process for recycling plastic bags and wrapping is different to recycling other plastic packaging. Therefore, plastic bags and wrapping need to be grouped together so that they can be sorted effectively during the recycling process. In North Herts, your plastic bags and wrapping will be collected separately to your plastics pots, tubs and trays. They will be collected on your normal recycling collection day.
Can I put all types of plastic bags and wrapping in the recycling collection?
We accept all types of plastic bags and wrapping listed in the leaflet you have received, so long as they fit inside the collection bag. Please do not put plastic bags and wrapping loose in with your other recycling. Remember to always use your collection bag and tie it securely.
Why doesn’t the recycling locator or North Herts Council’s website show that they collect plastic bags and wrapping from my home?
The Recycling Locator does not include the plastic bags and wrapping recycling collection from home because the trial is currently only available to a small selection of households. At this stage of the trial, we only want those households in the trial area to put out plastic bags and wrapping for recycling from their homes. Once the availability of the service expands to more households, information will be added on to the Recycling Locator. For the moment, refer to this page or your plastic bags and wrapping leaflet for a list of what can be recycled in your area.
What is the environmental benefit of recycling plastic bags and wrapping?
Creating new products from recycled plastic provides many benefits to the environment. Almost all virgin plastic (plastic that has never been recycled) comes from fossil fuels, and the process of manufacturing plastic creates millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases every year which harms the environment.
The trial will allow us to explore and gain a clear understanding of how recycling plastic bags and wrapping has an effect on carbon savings, reducing climate change and what the environmental impact is for the local community.
What can recycled plastic bags and wrapping be turned into?
Recycled plastic bags and wrapping can be used to make a range of new plastic products such as, plastic packaging, ‘bags for life’, boxes, bins, and agricultural and construction materials, reducing the reliance on virgin plastic. For longer term, the aim is to support turning recycled plastic bags and wrapping into plastic packaging for food, enabling the UK to create a fully circular model for using this type of plastic material.
Why aren’t plastic bags and wrapping currently widely recycled from home?
Currently only 17% of local authorities in the UK offer a collection of plastic bags and wrapping. In future years this is set to change with new regulations, but it will take time. In the UK, the aim is for all local authorities to collect plastic bags and wrapping from homes by 2027. To get to this point, we need to test the best methods for collecting, sorting and recycling plastic film. This trial is part of a wider project called FPF FlexCollect, which focuses on developing best practice and insights into the recyclability of flexible plastic bags and wrapping. You can find out more about the FPF FlexCollect project here.
Why aren’t all of the local authorities participating in the trial collecting the same types of plastic bags and wrapping?
To get a detailed understanding of the best way to collect plastic bags and wrapping from the home, the project is testing the collection of various types and combinations. To ensure that you’re putting the correct type of plastic bags and wrapping into your collection bag, please refer to the list of what can be recycled in your area.
Why was my local authority selected for the trial?
North Herts is representative of communities throughout the UK in terms of rurality, economy, geography, and recycling services and collection methods. North Herts Council’s recycling infrastructure has the scope to incorporate plastic bags and wrapping collection and sorting into the process and they have shown enthusiasm in participating in the trial.
