Blue bag for plastic bags and wrapping

Description of the scheme

A short trial for the recycling of plastic bags and wrapping took place in Wirral. The trial has now ended.

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A sample group of households were selected to be part of the trial. Those roads received their plastic bags and wrapping collected as part of their normal recycling collection, during the trial period.

The trial was run by Wirral Council and its partners:

• Veolia
• Biffa
• Liverpool City Region’s Waste and Resources Partnership
• Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority

The trial will help the council and its partners to understand about the collection and processing involved with recycling these items and how it will work in Wirral.

Timescales 

The trial has now ended. The trial ran from 2 June 2025 for 10 weeks. 

Who is involved in the trial 

The trial involved some residents in:

• Eastham
• Rock Ferry
• Noctorum
• Pensby
• Heswall
• Greasby
• Leasowe

View a list of roads involved in the trial

How the trial worked

People taking part in the trial received a roll of blue bags as well as information on how to use them. These bags are to put plastic bags and wrapping into, and to put in the grey bin for recycling collection. 

The plastic bags and wrapping collected from the properties taking part in the trial were collected by the council’s waste collection contractor, Biffa, in the usual grey bin recycling collections. 

All recycling from grey bin collections were delivered to Bidston Materials Recovery Facility managed by Veolia. Any blue bags containing plastic bags and wrapping are identified during the pre-sorting process and separated out by hand from the other recyclable items. The separated blue bags containing plastic bags and wrapping will then undergo sampling and analysis and be sent for reprocessing. 

Background of the scheme

The government is introducing ‘Simpler Recycling.’ This is a UK government initiative aimed at making recycling easier and more consistent across England. Simpler Recycling aims to increase recycling rates in a number of ways, including the expansion to the range of standard materials collected at the kerbside. This includes the proposal to accept plastic bags and wrapping from 31 March 2027. 

This trial will provide us with vital insight on how we can introduce the expansion of materials collected at the kerbside in the most effective way in order to meet government requirements. 

Benefits of the scheme 

All plastic bags and wrapping material that is collected as part of this trial, will be sent to a company called Plastecowood. They will process it and convert it into a practical material that can be used as a sustainable alternative to wood, virgin plastic, steel and concrete.  

Once plastic bags and wrapping have been recovered they are sent to Plastecowood where they are reprocessed, melted and moulded into benches, planters and more. 

There is no waste from this process as all of the material is melted and used to create the end product. These durable and minimal maintenance products can then be given back to the community.

How the scheme will be funded

Liverpool City Region Waste and Resources Partnership and Wirral Council are funding the costs associated with the trial. 

What are plastic bags and wrapping? 

Plastic bags and wrapping refers to flexible plastic packaging that typically bends easily and can include bags, removable lids, liners and wrappings. Plastic bags and wrapping are most commonly used to protect products such as:

• sweets and chocolates
• snack foods
• frozen foods
• bakery
• fresh produce
• meat
• dairy
• processed foods
• cosmetics
• personal care
• household detergents
• beverage bottle and can wrappings

Accepted items are:

• all plastic bags (carrier bags, salad, fruit, vegetable, bread, cereal, flower, frozen food bags)
• plastic and film sleeves (sleeves for bottles and jars, removable film lids)
• pouches, sachets and packets (microwaveable food, detergent, cleaning, cosmetics, baby, pet food pouches)
• cheese, fish and meat wrapping
• outer layer bags, multi pack wrapping (toilet, kitchen rolls, magazines, newspapers)
• bubble wrap and cling film
• confectionary and foil lined wrappers (chocolate, sweets, biscuits, cakes, ice cream, crisps, snacks, coffee packaging)
• fruit and vegetable net bags

Why do I have to put plastic bags and wrapping in the collection bag – why can’t I just put it loose in my grey recycling bin like all my other recycling?

All collected recycling, which for those in the trial will include the collection of your plastic bags and wrapping, will be taken to Bidston Materials Recovery Facility. At the Facility, it is much more difficult to separate loose plastic bags and wrapping when mixed in with all the other recyclable items. 

By using the blue bag, and knotting it twice so it doesn’t come loose, all of your plastic bags and wrapping will be grouped together so the bags can be identified and removed from the recycling waste stream during the pre-sort process. 

Why do the blue bags have to go inside the bin, can’t I leave it at the side of my bin?

Blue bags must go inside your recycling bin so they can be collected alongside the current recycling collection. 

The contents of the bag will be lightweight and may blow away if not securely placed inside your bin. 

Collected material will be delivered to Bidston Materials Recovery Facility where the bags will be sorted and separated from other recyclable items during the pre-sort process.

What will happen to the waste after you collect it?

All recycling from grey bin collections will be delivered to Bidston Materials Recovery Facility managed by Veolia. Any blue bags containing plastic bags and wrapping will be identified during the pre-sorting process and separated out by hand from the other recyclable items. The separated blue bags containing plastic bags and wrapping will then undergo sampling and analysis and be sent for reprocessing. 

For this trial, they will be sent to a company called Plastecowood, who will process it, melt it and convert it into a practical material that can be used as a sustainable alternative to wood, virgin plastic, steel and concrete. This material can then be moulded into benches, planters and more. 

How are you telling people about the trial?

Before the trial began, householders involved were sent an introductory flyer to tell them about the trial and provide an overview of what this means for them. Following this, they received a pack of collection bags and a leaflet with guidance on how to use the bags and take part in the trial. 

Will people who are taking part in the trial get more bin collections?

Those taking part in the trial will not get any additional collections. The trial will just enable residents taking part to put different items into their existing grey recycling bins for a temporary period (within the designated and provided bags). If you need to, you can use more than one blue bag per recycling collection.

Why are you wanting to trial the collection of plastic bags and wrapping?

We are looking at ways to reduce the impact of waste plastics on the environment. This trial will help us to understand how we can collect different kinds of materials. It will also help us meet government requirements for ‘Simpler Recycling’. 

I am taking part in the trial, where and how can I order more bags?

The bags provided should be enough to collect all of your plastic bags and wrapping over the course of the trial. Due to the short length of the trial, no more bags can be ordered.

What should I do with leftover bags that I haven't used in the trial?

If you have bags leftover after the trial ends you can put any remaining bags inside the plastic bags and wrapping bag on your last collection. Alternatively you can reuse these as normal liners but only for non-recyclable waste. Do not use them to bag any other recyclable items, or continue to use for plastic bags and wrapping, as these will not be recovered for recycling after the trial ends.