Carrier bag ban for Ipswich recycling scheme

Ipswich borough council wrote to householders to make the request following upgrades made to the Masons materials recycling facility.

” We work with several local authorities at the Ipswich materials recycling facility and the sheer volume of plastic bags was slowing the plant down.“
– Dan Cooke, Viridor
There have been some complaints made by residents to the local press, but Viridor Waste Management – operators of the Masons MRF – have said the exclusion of plastic carrier bags will improve local recycling rates in the long run.

Viridor spokesman Dan Cooke said: “There is a practicality behind the change, which was well documented in the letter sent to residents. We work with several local authorities at the Ipswich materials recycling facility and the sheer volume of plastic bags was slowing the plant down.”

Mr Cooke explained that carrier bags have to be hand-picked from the waste stream by staff at the MRF, and this slows the recycling process. “If the site is overrun by bags it is obviously going to slow down the pace of the MRF. It is a modern clean MRF, but if you put in enough of what it isn't built to deal with it will end up being slowed down,” he explained.

The recent 2 million upgrade to the Masons MRF turned the plant from a “dirty MRF” – which recovered a limited amount of recyclable material from mixed black bag household waste – to a “clean MRF”, which sorts materials separated at the kerbside by residents for recycling. The kerbside recycling scheme in Ipswich collects paper, card and plastic bottles.

Positive
Letters have also been sent to ask householders living in each council area that sends materials to the Masons plant not to include plastic carrier bags with their recyclable waste. Viridor said the general response had been positive.

Mr Cooke said: “We worked with the local authorities to remove the bags and we have seen an improvement. Generally we had a good response but there have been a few hiccups where residents wish to continue doing what they were doing before.

“We all have to make little changes for the greater good and in the long run it will ensure a greater level of recycling is achieved,” he added.