Soft Plastic Recycling Bins
Solihull Debuts a New Plastic Recycling Bin at Kerbside Locations
Kanesa D — March 6, 2025
Solihull Council has updated its recycling guidelines, allowing residents to add soft plastics like plastic bags, wrappers from biscuits and sweets, and plastic film to their regular mixed recycling bins. This change is aimed at improving recycling efficiency and helping residents easily contribute to waste reduction efforts. Despite the innovative launch, items like Blister packs, disposable gloves and masks, plastic cutlery, and straws are still excluded from kerbside recycling.
“Plastic bags and wrapping represent about 20% of all plastic packaging but until now people have only been able to recycle them at supermarket collection points,” Solihull's Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, Ken Hawkins said. "Offering residents an easy way of recycling packaging means we can all recycle easily in a hassle-free way. Just make sure your crisp bags and wrappers are empty and clean before recycling, just as you would with empty tins and bottles.”
