We are conducting a trial with approximately 500 households, providing them with a new, reusable, red bag for recycling.
Participants in the trial will be able to use the red bag to recycle:
- household plastic bottles, pots, tubs, and trays
- metal packaging such as tins, cans, foil, and aerosols
If you are taking part in the trial you will use this new red bag alongside your existing recycling boxes, and blue bag for card, to maximize your recycling efforts.
The red bags will be delivered to homes within the trial areas during the week commencing Monday 24 February 2025. If you are in the trial you can start using your red bag for cans and plastics as soon as it arrives.
Why we are running this trial
The goal of this trial is to simplify recycling for residents and collection crews. We aim to improve the sorting of materials and help reduce litter and spillage on collection day with a lidded bag.
The reasons we are doing this are:
- Higher quality recycling: well-sorted recycling can be sold for more money, helping to cover collection costs and fund local services
- Increased cost of recycling boxes: the cost of recycling boxes has risen significantly, and there is high demand for replacements
- Benefits of bags: other local authorities have found bags to be a good solution for recycling storage and collection as they are cheaper, and take up less space than boxes which is beneficial for households with limited space
- Less litter: the new red recycling bag is secured with Velcro strips on three sides of the lid, keeping the recycling inside the bag until it is emptied, reducing the chance of litter escaping the container
Where we are running this trial
We have chosen the areas to reflect the diverse types of properties and housing density within Bath and North East Somerset. Expand each section to find out which roads are being included. Please note that not all properties on the mentioned roads will be part of the trial.
The following roads are included in the trial:
- Geldof Drive
- Beaufort Avenue
- Grace Drive
Lower Whitelands is the only road included in the trial.
Vernham Grove is the only road included in the trial.
The following roads are included in the trial:
- Bath Road odd numbers - 429 to 487
- Bath Road even numbers - 392 to 472
Handel Road is the only road included in the trial.
The following roads are included in the trial:
- Whitehouse Lane
- Hook Lane
- Litton Lane
Coxley Drive is the only road included in the trial.
Lansdown Crescent is the only road included in the trial.
Lymore Gardens is the only road included in the trial.
Brookside Drive is the only road included in the trial.
How we will monitor this trial
We will monitor the quality of recycling from trial roads, levels of litter before and during the trial, and assess the ease of use and storage. We will gather feedback from collection crews and participating residents during and at the end of the trial.
If you are participating in the trial, please fill in our online survey to provide feedback on your new red recycling bag. The survey will close on Friday 23 May 2025.
Other ways to provide feedback
We appreciate that not everyone can get online, so if you would like a copy of the survey posted to you or in an alternative format, please email council_connect@bathnes.gov.uk or call us on 01225 39 40 41.
What happens next
The residential surveys results and feedback from our operations teams will be gathered and a recommendation report produced for internal review.