A woman carrying a clear plastic bag containing vegetables. Only their hands, legs and the bag can be seen in the frame. — Image caption,

Soft plastics will be collected from more households in Somerset

Chloe Harcombe

BBC News, Somerset

Charlie Taylor

BBC Radio Somerset

A trial project to enable more households to recycle plastic bags and wrapping in their weekly collections is being expanded.

Somerset Council is part of the FlexCollect project, set up to inform the government and industry about how plastic bags and wrapping should be added to household collection services.

Currently, the only way to recycle these materials – including carrier bags and cling film – is at supermarket collection points.

It is hoped that every household around the country will have the kerbside collections by March 2027.

The scheme will be extended to more than 25,000 homes in Wells, Draycott, Frome and Chilcompton.

Eligible residents will be sent a pack of blue collection bags, alongside further information about what to collect.

They join about 3,500 households in Frome that have already recycled approximately 27 tonnes of soft plastic waste – equal to roughly 95,000 bags – since the scheme was introduced there in May 2023.

Mickey Greene, Executive Director of Climate and Place at Somerset Council, said many residents who are already part of the scheme “really like” it so far.

“It’s something new, but it’s something that people want to do,” he said.

“People want to do their bit and everybody is concerned about plastics.

“Somerset is leading the way in terms of working with other local authorities and industry to pilot this,” he added.