Denbighshire soft-plastics trial adds to residents’ recycling burden
Denbighshire is asking about 4,500 households to join a three-month trial collecting soft plastics, adding another container to an already complex recycling system. The trial has revived complaints about the time and space required, while Welsh councils prepare for plans to introduce kerbside soft-plastic recycling more widely.
Since a £22 million overhaul in 2024, residents have sorted waste into as many as 11 containers, including stackable boxes, food-waste caddies and a woven sack for cardboard. Some residents say the sack wears out quickly, replacement costs £12.50 and can take four weeks, while general rubbish is collected only every four weeks. The council says it has not decided whether the trial will become permanent; England has delayed its planned rollout from 2027 to 2030 amid concerns about readiness and recycling capacity.
In short
- Soft-plastic trial could bring Denbighshire households to 12 containers.
- Residents say the existing system is difficult and takes up space.
- The council has not decided whether the trial will become permanent.
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The case for
A soft-plastics collection could keep difficult-to-recycle packaging out of general waste and help councils prepare for wider recycling plans. A limited trial lets Denbighshire assess how well collection works before deciding whether to make it permanent.
The case against
Residents already sort waste into many containers, and another one may add substantial demands on household time and space. Reports of sacks wearing out, costly and slow replacements, and four-weekly general-waste collection strengthen the case for resolving practical problems before expanding the system.
Explained simply
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales, where the council organises household rubbish and recycling collections. In 2024 it changed the system so residents sort waste into separate containers for different materials.
Soft plastics include items such as plastic film and wrappers, which are often harder to recycle than bottles and tubs. Councils across Wales are preparing for wider kerbside collections of these materials, while the Welsh Government sets the broader rules for waste and recycling.
The trial involves a small number of households and is intended to test collecting soft plastics at home. Its longer-term significance depends on whether the council adopts it permanently and how wider plans are put into practice.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “A bin too far: The town where residents now have to sort recycling into 12 bins… and get called ‘lazy’ for complaining”.