Soft Plastic Recycling at the kerbside is coming to South Gloucestershire following a successful campaign by Luke Hall MP.
Roads in Chipping Sodbury, Olveston and Alveston will be the first to benefit from the scheme in the coming weeks, before soft plastic recycling is rolled out across South Gloucestershire.
Suez waste collection will pick up soft plastics, such as plastic bags, fruit and vegetable packing, clingfilm, bread bags or crisp packets in specially provided bags alongside all other household recycling.
Mr Hall surveyed households across South Gloucestershire to find out the most pressing local environmental concern. In every area surveyed, the desire to recycle a wider variety of household plastics came up as the largest concern.
Luke subsequently launched a campaign to improve access to soft-plastic recycling, particularly for rural villages in the area. Speaking to South Gloucestershire Council, Luke assisted with a local bid to the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, calling for South Gloucestershire to be selected as one of the trial locations for a national rollout. The bid centred around South Gloucestershire’s impressive record for recycling rates, and the region’s status as one of the best districts of its type in the South West and the mix of urban areas and rural villages.
The MP then launched a community petition which gathered hundreds of signatures from residents, discussed the bid with the Minister for Nature Recovery, and later held a debate in Parliament, focused solely on our bid to be part of this important scheme and calling for South Gloucestershire to be included.
On the news that South Gloucestershire villages would be included in the soft-plastic recycling initiative, Luke Hall MP said, “It is fantastic news that South Gloucestershire is getting soft plastic recycling! Being part of this national trial to collect soft plastics from the kerbside will increase access to recycling and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.”
Luke continued, “Thank you to everybody who supported our campaign to make this happen; by signing my petition, supporting the debate in Parliament and the application from the Council. Delivering soft plastic recycling is a key part of our Positive Plan for the Environment in South Gloucestershire.”
