An extra 25,000 households in Somerset will be able to recycle flexible plastics at the kerbside as a trial is extended.

Flexible plastics – which also includes bread bags, cheese wrappers and salad bags – are currently some of the hardest items to recycle, despite taking up a sizeable chunk of household waste.

The government has been running a pilot scheme since April 2022 with three local authorities (including two in Gloucestershire), with flexible plastics being collected at the kerbside for processing and recycling.

Somerset began a small-scale trial of collecting flexible plastics in May 2023, focussed on 3,600 households in the north and north-eastern parts of Frome.

Somerset Council’s climate and plate scrutiny committee stated in January that this trial had “yielded impressive results”, with plans being made to roll out the collections elsewhere in the eastern half of the county.

The council has now confirmed that the trial will be extended by the end of October to include a further 25,000 households in and around Chilcompton, Draycott, Frome and Wells.

New residents to the scheme will receive a pack of blue collection bags, alongside further information about what to collect.

Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, said: “Somerset residents have once again shown their enthusiasm to keep our county green and more sustainable.

“Frome householders have been among the highest participating areas of all local authorities involved in the project.

“The success of phase one means that we can collect and recycle plastic bags and wrapping from thousands more people.

“Look out for your collection bags arriving soon. If you do not receive any information, then your household is not part of the trial at this time.”

In its first year, the Frome trial has seen 27 tonnes of soft plastics collected for recycling – about 95,000 collection bags.

The collections pick up a wide range of plastic bags and wrapping, including carrier bags, bread bags, confectionery wrappers, crisp packets, food wrapping and cling film – materials which presently can only be recycled at collection points outside supermarkets.

The plastics will be part of the usual weekly recycling collections, to be put out for collection in the plastic sacks provided to participating households.

Defra had previously indicated that it wishes for all local authorities to collect flexible plastics at the kerbside by March 2027.