EVERY home in Taunton Deane is set to get one of these 'Bright Blue Bags' in the autumn.

People in West Somerset and Sedgemoor will have to wait a little longer - they are due to have theirs delivered early next year.

The bags are to increase the amount of recycling we carry out to ensure fewer items are buried at landfill sites in Somerset.

People will be asked to use the bags to put out the following items for recycling:

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

It's all part of Somerset Waste Partnership's Recycle More initiative, which has been operating in the Mendip district since October last year and is going live in South Somerset at the end of this month.

It will see thousands of tonnes of extra recycling in the county's five depots - Mendip collects around 100 tonnes of extra recycling every week.

The bags have a 60-litre capacity and will hold some of the extra recycling collected 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.