MALDON District Council has announced that plastic bags and wrapping recycling will soon be available to more households across the District, following recent successful trials.

Starting this month (November 2025), the expansion will take place in phases with stickers being put onto residents' black wheeled bins to let them know that their household is now enrolled onto the service and can start recycling plastic bags and wrapping in their pink recycling sacks alongside their normal recycling.

This new service will allow residents to recycle the following items in their pink recycling sacks:

• Carrier bags, salad/fruit/vegetable bags, frozen food bags, bread bags, cereal bags, and flower bags. 
• Chocolate, sweets, biscuits, cakes, ice cream, and chewing gum wrappers. 
• Crisp packets, snack packets, and coffee bags.  
• Cheese, fish, and meat wrapping. 
• Multipack wrapping, toilet and kitchen roll wrapping, and magazine and newspaper wrapping. 
• Detergent and cleaning pouches.  
• Removable film lids and plastic sleeves from bottles and jars. 
• Bubble wrap and cling film. 
• Fruit and vegetable net bags.

Residents are advised not to put plastic bags and wrapping into their recycling until they have received a sticker on their bin. The Council aims to have all households enrolled onto the service by spring 2026.

Councillor Richard Siddall, Leader of Maldon District Council said: "This is a big step forward for recycling in our District.

"By expanding this service, we're making it easier for residents to recycle more and reduce waste. Please wait for the sticker on your bin before adding plastic bags and wrapping to your pink sacks.

"I know from my own experience that recycling the plastic can make a real difference. Together we can be proud of being one of the best recycling districts."

The Council said it thanks residents for their recycling efforts, which has helped the District become the top-performing authority in Essex and among the best nationally for recycling, with a household recycling and composting rate of around 57.8%, compared to the national average of 44%.

The expansion of plastic bags and wrapping recycling is part of the Council's ongoing commitment to improve recycling rates even further and support Essex Waste Partnership's ambition to reach 65% recycling by 2035. 

For more information about the service expansion, visit https://www.maldon.gov.uk/plasticbagsandwrapping.