Reading: Plastic wrapper recycling collection trial starts

The rubbish will be turned into plastic packaging, bags for life, boxes and bins

Thousands of households in parts of a town have started a trial to recycle plastic bags and food wrappers.

More than 4,000 homes on a group of streets in Reading can throw away wrapping including crisp packets, cling film and all plastic bags.

Residents have to bag the rubbish in specially provided blue bags which is collected as part of their normal recycling collection.

The trial will run until March 2025 and is expected to expand across the town.

It is also due to be introduced to homes in Wokingham and Bracknell.

The plastic rubbish will be recycled by re3, the recycling company in charge of waste in Reading, Wokingham and Bracknell Forest.

The rubbish will be turned into plastic packaging, bags for life, boxes and bins.

The two-year trial is part of national research involving nine councils across England.

It is being run by the FlexCollect project, which is backed and funded by the government.

Currently, the only way for residents to recycle plastic bags and wrapping is at supermarket front-of-store collection points.