BRIGHT Blue Bags will be appearing on South Somerset doorsteps from Monday (June 14) with just two weeks to go until the launch of Recycle More.

The new recycling containers are a pivotal part of the expanded service being introduced by Somerset Waste Partnership.

With a 60-litre capacity, they will hold some of the extra recycling collected every week and their arrival is a clear sign for residents that service is about to start.

Bags will be delivered to homes across South Somerset over the next fortnight.

They will be left somewhere easy to find near front doors, usually in an empty recycling container.

At the same time, stickers will be stuck on everyone’s recycling boxes making it clear what needs to go where once Recycle More starts from Monday, June 28.

The bags are already working well in Mendip, where the service was launched in October and is collecting around 100 tonnes of extra recycling every week.

Key features of the bag include:

  • A weighted base so they will not blow away in wind;
  • A Velcro-fastened lid so contents will not blow away;
  • Easy to fold-down and store when not in use;
  • Tough, durable and waterproof.

The Bright Blue Bags will be used to hold:

  • Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays (rinsed and squashed/nested);
  • Tins and cans (rinsed and crushed if possible);
  • Aerosols (empty);
  • Foil (rinsed).

The rubber base of the bag is made from recycled material and the whole bag will be 100 per cent recyclable when it reaches the end of its life.

Recycle More adds extra materials to weekly collections, helps protect the environment and saves taxpayers’ money.

With much more recycling, what little rubbish remains will be collected every three weeks instead of every two.

'Recycle More is coming soon' leaflets are being delivered across the district this week.

They includes a collection day calendar showing clearly when their new service starts and future collection dates.

What goes into each recycling container is changing so the leaflet includes a colour-coded 'what goes where' diagram to keep for future reference:

  • Green box – glass bottles and jars, and cartons, including Tetra Pak;
  • Black box – paper and card;
  • Brown food waste bin – all food waste;
  • Carrier bags – small household batteries, small electrical items (crews will return bags).

Somerset Waste Partnership managing director Mickey Green said: “Lots of people are excited by the new service, but we’d ask them to stay patient and carry on recycling as they are now until their first collection date.”