The confirmation comes after the UK government announced last week that mandatory collections of plastic films and flexible packaging in England will now begin on 1 April 2030, rather than 31 March 2027, following concerns from the waste and recycling sector about the availability of suitable end markets.
A Welsh Government spokesperson said that the change in England would not affect Wales’ plans.
The spokesperson commented: “Wales is already a world leader in recycling, ranked second globally and first in the UK.
“Our course of action on plastic film has not changed. We are working with councils and industry to roll out plastic film collections in 2027, building the systems needed to process flexible plastics, keep materials in use and support green jobs.
“Decisions made by Defra for England have little impact on Wales, as we have long had a different approach to recycling policy and regulation.”
The Welsh Government has previously confirmed that local authorities will be required to collect flexible plastics from households from spring 2027, in line with its wider recycling strategy.
Cardiff to launch collections this summer
While Wales continues to work towards the 2027 requirement, Cardiff Council has approved plans to introduce a kerbside collection service for flexible plastics ahead of the national deadline.
The council’s cabinet has agreed to launch the service by summer 2026, allowing residents to recycle items such as bread bags, crisp packets and other clean, dry flexible plastic packaging.
Households will receive rolls of dedicated 30-litre bags, which will be filled with flexible plastics before being placed inside the existing red recycling sack alongside cans and plastic containers for collection.
A cabinet report said the scheme represents “a significant opportunity” to improve Cardiff’s recycling performance before flexible plastic collections become mandatory across Wales.
The report added that local trials had shown flexible plastic packaging could be incorporated into existing collection arrangements without creating capacity issues.
The new service forms part of Cardiff’s “Path to 70%” programme, which aims to help the authority meet the Welsh Government’s statutory target for councils to recycle 70% of municipal waste under the Waste (Wales) Measure 2010.
Cardiff recycled 64% of its municipal waste in 2024/25, rising to 66.1% during the first three quarters of 2025/26.
The council estimates that introducing flexible plastic collections could increase its recycling rate by between 0.4% and 0.7% once the service is fully established.
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