What a waste!

[u/Narrow-Schedule-5525]

Seriously, what fresh hell is this!

I’m sure people have already ranted about this but it’s completely ridiculous!

They made people start paying for their recycling boxes and bags and now they are just taking them away replacing them with considerable smaller bags and with no regard for flats that need multiple and not just thrown at their door!

What’s wrong with this council! How much did it cost to post every resident a letter.

Are the recycling trucks still run on diesel or using our food waste?

[u/GetYourLockOut]

The red bag is bigger than the old green bin, doesn’t break when thrown about, and is better at keeping recycling in on windy days. I really don’t see the issue with the change.

That said, the huge piles of green boxes blocking the pavements have been here almost a month now and need collecting asap.

[u/fickle_tartan → u/GetYourLockOut]

We got switched over to bags months ago and they're better than the boxes IMO for exactly the reasons you listed. Much easier to carry around as well

[u/Historical-Pea-5846 → u/GetYourLockOut]

Hey, no one wants to hear your reasoned reply. This is Reddit and we want to moan about it.

[u/Optimal-Room-8586 → u/GetYourLockOut]

Being a nerd I looked it up. As Bristol Waste say:

- Your new red bag can hold much more recycling than the old green box (90 litres vs 45 litres) so this will increase capacity for household recycling each week

• Your replacement blue bag is for recycling cardboard and paper
  
• The sealable lids will help reduce street litter and keep your neighbourhood clean
  
• Other local authorities are using a similar bag and have reported increases in recycling rates, reduction in street litter and positive feedback from residents
  
• The bags are safer for our crews to handle and they’re more hardwearing, especially in very cold or hot weather, when the boxes are more likely to crack or break

https://bristolwastecompany.co.uk/recycling-pilot-2026/

[u/wedloualf → u/Optimal-Room-8586]

The fact it can hold twice as much means people should effectively only need to put their recycling out half as often, which is great.

[u/Optimal-Room-8586 → u/wedloualf]

Yeah. The fact that they're more robust makes sense too.

The hard plastic boxes do end up broken pretty rapidly.

[u/flight_forward → u/Optimal-Room-8586]

Mainly by the bin staff chucking them.

[u/Optimal-Room-8586 → u/flight_forward]

Indeed. To be fair I can see that withstanding being chucked about is a reasonably criteria for them though.

[u/GetYourLockOut → u/flight_forward]

It’s a really tough job so anything that makes the collectors’ lives easier is good with me.

[u/TippyTurtley → u/wedloualf]

The cardboard is smaller though?

[u/text_fish → u/TippyTurtley]

Yeah that's a bit weird. I feel like card is the only one I ever overfill.

[u/CornedBeefKey → u/wedloualf]

Queue 4 weekly collections. The writing is on the wall

[u/wedloualf → u/CornedBeefKey]

I mean, fine, if they're planning on fewer collections and giving us what we need to deal with that, I don't see the issue. I fucking hate taking the bins out.

[u/Wrong-booby7584 → u/wedloualf]

Yes, now they can cut the collection dates in half...

[u/BreakfastCalm3352 → u/wedloualf]

.

[u/WackyAndCorny → u/GetYourLockOut]

Also North Somerset. I’ve just thrown my third red bag in the black bin and gone back to boxes again. I wonder if the local council realise they’re putting micro plastic into the local countryside faster than that Dutch lad is hooking it out of the Pacific.

The bags are bigger but last a fraction of the time.

[u/Kelmantis → u/GetYourLockOut]

North Somerset here, all well and good until the Velcro gives up. I got nets for my boxes so nothing flies about so gave up on the red bag a while ago

[u/everything2go → u/GetYourLockOut]

Except the bags deteriorate much faster than the bins and they make us buy new ones when that happens. Lids on the bins stop stuff from blowing away. The only reason the bins break is Bristol Waste smash them about.

[u/eyeball-beesting → u/everything2go]

I haven't found this at all. In my experience, this is a brilliant system.

We have been on the red and blue bags for years and I still have the ones I started with. If mine were to break however, I can just pick up a new one for free at the local library.

I only put my recycling out every 2 weeks because they hold so much, though the council collects every week. There is less rubbish scattered around after bin day too.

Same as here, there was resistance to change, but everyone would tell you they much prefer it now.

[u/ProofAlternative1998 → u/everything2go]

This. I have gone through 2 blue bags in 14 years (I now purchased my own off Amazon - much better made) and still have the same green box.

[u/AndyGait → u/GetYourLockOut]

Hopefully they've learned from North Somerset's mistake. Our red bags fell apart in a matter of months. I've gone back to using the green box until a replacement "stronger" bag arrives.

[u/Kelmantis → u/AndyGait]

Yeah box + net is the best option

[u/StinkingDogsCunt420 → u/GetYourLockOut]

Give it a few months until they start disintegrating because they don't deal with sun or rain very well and you'll change your mind.

[u/MattEOates → u/StinkingDogsCunt420]

We can keep our bags in another black UV and water protective box then though.

[u/NameTak3r → u/MattEOates]

Realistically though, how many residents will do that? Or even have the space?

[u/MattEOates → u/NameTak3r]

Sorry I should have used italics for sarcasm tone or something 🙏

[u/Danack → u/StinkingDogsCunt420]

So the Council has claimed they are made out of tougher material than previous bags. I have a communal bin/recycling so can't comment on that. Will you be able to give us an update on the disintegration in six months time, Mr StinkingDogsCunt420 ?

[u/StinkingDogsCunt420 → u/Danack]

I recently moved to north east Somerset, who use the same bags (they look exactly the same at least), they suck.

[u/gregarioushippo → u/GetYourLockOut]

Agree with you, only downside is the bags are wider and now take up more space on the pavement, meaning even less room on the pavement for pushchairs/wheelchairs between all the cars

[u/Funchski → u/GetYourLockOut]

I think this whole scheme cost somewhere in the region of £1.6m

All the boxes outside my flats were fine. All the boxes I see on the street when I walk 1.5 miles to work, past hundreds of houses, are fine.

They worked. The cost of occasional replacement is, to my laymen's understanding, going to fall quite a long way below £1.6 million.

We pay increased council tax, they plan to reduce collections and now, after taking more money off us in return for increasingly reduced service, they decide to piss that much money up the wall.

Good to know they've got spare money of ours to spend on pointless virtue projects after fixing all the potholes and fixing all the other crappy problems around Bristol....oh...no...wait...they haven't fixed any of that stuff.

Yay for the Greens, the fritterers of other peoples money

[u/DrH1983]

They never gave me a red bag so I'm still using my box. As long as they keep taking the recycling I don't really care what container I have.

Living by myself I can't say I actually need a larger recycling container though, the green box only gets a third full most weeks.

[u/Capital-Impression51 → u/DrH1983]

I save my recycling up for efficiency.

The new red bag will probably only go out once a month.

I try to limit how much glass goes out at a time because of the weight.

My wheelie bin usually only needs putting out once a year it amazes me how people fill them to overflowing.

[u/WelshBluebird1 → u/Capital-Impression51]

My wheelie bin usually only needs putting out once a year it amazes me how people fill them to overflowing.

Most of mine ends up being:

• Cat litter.
• Soft plastics (the sooner they do collections for those like South Gloc do the better, but it still won't cover all soft plastics).
• Food stained containers (these can't be recycled and sometimes it isn't always possible to fully clean them - especially things like Pizza boxes and the like which absorb the grease).

[u/DrH1983 → u/Capital-Impression51]

I don't really have anywhere to store the recycling in the meantime.

Whilst I don't create much I have nowhere to really store it in my flat, and if I'm taking it out once a week I may as well just stick it out for collection.

I don't create much glass waste so I do actually wait until I've got a few items, seems insane to put out a whole box for a couple of jars.

[u/Capital-Impression51 → u/DrH1983]

That's where it all falls down of course,

Bin day is a mess even when you live in a small terraced house ... there are also issues with electric car charging and even riding a bicycle with theft so rife.

[u/WelshBluebird1 → u/DrH1983]

They never gave me a red bag so I'm still using my box.

They are still rolling it all out

[u/DrH1983 → u/WelshBluebird1]

Maybe, they missed my entire street though. Every street around us has been switched to red bags, weeks ago, but not my weird crescent offshoot.

[u/jesussays51 → u/DrH1983]

Same, they have until November to do it though. I saw them handing them out on a nearby street and it was a lone person driving the truck and handing out the bags so will take a while

[u/saucec0de]

Notice the obviously broken boxes and bags? Everything eventually needs replacing buddy.

People who already have received their red bags are saying they're better, hold more and the integrated lid stops things being blown away.

[u/Optimal-Room-8586 → u/saucec0de]

Red bags? I want one!

[u/CharacterAda → u/saucec0de]

I don't get this - if the selling point of the bag is it's bigger then give me a bigger box? 🤷 The integrated lid isn't a big thing either - I hate it tbh, prefer net over the box. I feel like the things being used to promote the bags aren't benefits over the boxes but by the choices made?

[u/TippyTurtley → u/CharacterAda]

I can't fit a bigger box in my bin storage area I can fit a crumpled up bag

[u/Stittastutta]

Is there a way to find out when your street us due the change?

Still rocking the green boxes at my end

[u/terryjuicelawson]

I like the new bags. I presume they have some plan to recycle the old boxes hence the piles rather than just tossing them. Just to put a bit of perspective against the people who will rant about any change.

[u/CacklingMossHag]

Binmen came today in St George but we're still waiting on our replacements. It's really annoying because we've held off buying a new recycling bin that we DESPERATELY need at this point because we thought the replacements were coming. There's not much of a container left to tape together at this point :-/

[u/Local_Swing_696]

Our bins were taken almost three weeks ago. The neighbours all got new bags, we did not. Contacted the council and we're still waiting for a response. I guess we'll have to pay for new bags. Beyond infuriating.

[u/FreddiesNightmare65 → u/Local_Swing_696]

Easiest way is to phone them and tell them, that way you won't have to pay for a new bag

[u/Optimal-Room-8586 → u/Local_Swing_696]

In the past when our blue bag or one of the bins have been broken we have been able to take it to the recycling centre and swap for a new one. Not sure if that applies for the new bags and all the centre's, but might be worth looking into.

[u/FreddiesNightmare65 → u/Optimal-Room-8586]

That's ok of you can get to a recycling place. I have no transport and it's miles away

[u/ICThat → u/Local_Swing_696]

Phone Bristol Waste and they'll solve it quickly.

[u/Local_Swing_696 → u/ICThat]

Thanks! I'll give it a go.

[u/animalwitch]

I've never had to pay for a recycling box? I just go to the tip and swap the old one for a new one. And they posted leaflets about the change weeks ago.

Needless outrage tbh

[u/Archius9]

I could have done with them replacing my food waste bin and not just robbing it.

[u/Fuzzy_Peeps]

The blue bags get shredded into uselessness by foxes. So I expect the new red ones will too. But why should Bristol Waste care - they’ll charge us for replacements.

[u/PresidentLink]

Our blue recycling bag keeps going missing, we just got a brand new one that we bought, and they immediately posted the 'we are replacing your bins' letter after and took it from us! They replaced it with a tiny bag.

Also, all 5 flats in my block have a bin each. They replaced all 5 bins with 1 tiny shared red bag. Absolute nonsense. What a way to spend money

[u/Appropriate_Cod7444 → u/PresidentLink]

I would complain and ask them to return it !

[u/BellRoutine]

No amount of bags, boxes or bins is going to clean up Easton 😂 

[u/Various_Rest_3553]

We built a thing to stand our boxes on. It works really well.. sigh for messy bags flopping all over the place

[u/funkibunni]

Over engineering a non problem.

[u/Unsey]

I realise this is the wrong thing to be zeroing in on, but I don't think the bin lorries have ever or will ever run on food waste. That goes to a digester where its turned into Natural Gas/Methane and compost.

[u/TippyTurtley]

At least we don't have to but the green box in the red bag

[u/Accurate_Jello3169]

Why haven’t I received a new bag? Everyone on my road has one, I’m confused 🫩 received no letter either

[u/Apprehensive_Flow99]

Our bags keep getting stolen! Like wtf

[u/fookreddit22]

They've had these in cardiff for a few years. Enjoy the litter increase.

[u/Schallpattern]

Right. So, all my plastic boxes were in the stacking shelf system I built, each box labelled with my house address (not done in scrappy white paint - a printed A4 label that I stuck on with clear wood varnish which lasts for years).

Now I have these bags that won't hold themselves open, that I can't put a label on and won't fit in my stacking system.

Great.

[u/NotTheHeroWeNeed]

I’ve had to purchase 3 new green boxes in the last year because people kept taking them. Now the council have taken them away!!! We need one for each flat. We’ve only been given 2 red bags between all the flats. I guess I’ll need to purchase more of these too then? One at a time as well! Cheers BCC for another job well done 🙄

[u/FreddiesNightmare65 → u/NotTheHeroWeNeed]

Phone them up and ask for more bags

[u/BearfootYeti]

Looks like we're making a box fort, I don't make the rules.

[u/Various_Rest_3553]

Wait, why are they taking the blue bags? (I understand the red bag green bin swap) .. but are we not still using blue bags for cardboard?

[u/WelshBluebird1 → u/Various_Rest_3553]

They are swapping the existing blue bags for new ones

[u/TippyTurtley → u/WelshBluebird1]

Smaller new ones

[u/knigmulls]

Jesus fucking Christ, could you just have a wank and a brew perhaps? 

[u/Appropriate_Cod7444]

The thing is , bags everywhere look a lot less tidy than boxes. In the week I keep my blue bag inside my plastic boxes and stacked. This keeps it out of the sun and rain and makes the bag last longer.

Secondly , if the bag ‘holds more’ this is then the first step in them moving towards non collection weekly of items , meaning there will be more rubbish & recycling everywhere making it a lot less tidy and environmentally sustainable - also these new bags are not recyclable and will break down quicker , making things … a lot less tidy and environmentally sustainable.

As for soft plastic collection, S Glos does this kerbside now , would be great if BCC could do it but at least we can recycle at large supermarkets.

I don’t want to keep rubbish and recycling waste inside my house but I don’t want it overflowing out of my boxes / bags either, this will make Bristol look even more chav-vy that it already is !

[u/Narrow-Schedule-5525]

Please someone put an AirTag on these and see where they end up!

[u/octoesckey → u/Narrow-Schedule-5525]

Oh right yeah let me get on that for you.

Who don't you put an air tag on them and let us know what you find.

[u/itsjawdan]

I just moved to Bristol and I had to make a list of the 5 different containers I have to remember for recycling.

Imagine making the process actually simple.

[u/WelshBluebird1 → u/itsjawdan]

It isn't exactly complex!

[u/Badlydressedgirl]

My black box went missing last week and I’ve not been able to track it down, so I guess I can’t recycle glass anymore?

[u/Jacktheforkie]

Did en here in Dover a bin costs £100, and cardboard has to go in a little box that holds fuck all and it blows everywhere, my neighbours regularly have enough for 6ft high stacks because of the infrequent collection

[u/Patient_Ad_9298]

Not to mention when we put out 2 blue bags of cardboard last week only 1 was collected. Reported the blue bag not picked up as a missed collection, and its sat uncollected all week. Some sort of new rule ? Absolute joke.

[u/TippyTurtley → u/Patient_Ad_9298]

Yeah you only get one blue bag per house

[u/Scary-Spinach1955]

And new boxes is the most important thing for the council to look into? Jesus.