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<\/p>\nPeople had been frustrated with waste blowing out of the old boxes<\/p>\n
Bristol Waste is replacing plastic boxes for cans and bottle recycling with red bags(Image: Bristol Waste)<\/p>\n
A major change to the way people in the city do their recycling kicks off this week – with new large red bags set to become a familiar sight in every street.<\/p>\n
From this week, residents will be finding their green boxes for plastic and can recycling will be swapped for a large red bag, similar to the new large blue ones that people have begun to use for cardboard and paper.<\/p>\n
The change, by Bristol Waste, is being brought in because the brittle green boxes blow around in the wind and get damaged too easily – and the red bags are bigger.<\/p>\n
The logistics of the changeover mean it won\u2019t happen overnight. Bristol Waste says it will take until November before everyone\u2019s boxes are changed for bags, and they will do all 175,000 homes they collect from street by street, a week at a time.<\/p>\n
Residents of each street will get a letter when it\u2019s their turn, and people are being urged to put out their green recycling boxes as usual, even if they are empty.<\/p>\n
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Bristol Waste is replacing plastic boxes for cans and bottle recycling with red bags(Image: Bristol Waste)<\/p>\n
\u201cHomes on kerbside recycling collections will receive a new red bag for plastic and cans, which is 60% bigger than the old brittle green boxes, and a new blue bag for card, cartons and paper,\u201d said a Bristol Waste spokesperson.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new bags will also be sealable, reducing litter, and easier to store between collections. Households with missing or damaged brown food bins will have new ones, and black boxes that are more durable won\u2019t change.<\/p>\n
\u201cResidents will receive letters asking them to put out their containers on their usual bin day, ready for the swap. The delivery teams will work with Bristol Waste recycling crews to replace the old containers which will be emptied. Residents are being urged to put out all their containers \u2013 even if they\u2019re empty,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Bristol recycles more than any other large city in the UK, but Bristol Waste reckons it could be a lot higher, and is encouraging people not to put so much waste in their black wheelie bins.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s recycle more, for Bristol,\u201d said Sarah Burns, from Bristol Waste.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know from our research that over 50 per cent of the average Bristol black wheelie bin is recyclable materials, and the things we see most commonly are actually really easy to recycle \u2014 like squashed plastic bottles and rinsed yoghurt pots.<\/p>\n
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Bristol Waste is replacing plastic boxes for cans and bottle recycling with red bags(Image: Bristol Waste)<\/p>\n
\u201cRecyclable food waste makes up 26 per cent of the average black wheelie bin. By taking an extra moment to put plate scrapings or out-of-date food into our brown food waste bins, we\u2019re doing our bit for the city.<\/p>\n
“Recycling reduces demand on finite natural resources and lowers carbon emissions, while also saving money for council taxpayers so it can be spent on other vital services,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
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