North Somerset Council has decided to suspend its public events for exchanging damaged red recycling bags due to concerns over unsafe crowd sizes.
A swap event scheduled for Monday 24 August in Portishead has been postponed, marking the second such event to be cancelled. The council’s recycling team explained on Facebook: “Unfortunately, we do not believe there is enough space during the summer holidays to safely accommodate the numbers we have seen attending the other events.”
The first event in Weston-super-Mare on 13 August drew hundreds of residents, many queued for over an hour in high temperatures. Attendance peaked at a subsequent event in Nailsea on 18 August, where 800 red bags were handed out before supplies were exhausted, resulting in some residents being turned away.
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Introduced last year, these red bags are for household plastic and metal recycling. However, a manufacturing defect caused some bags to deteriorate quickly, turning white and disintegrating when exposed to sunlight. While no further swap events are planned, residents can still obtain replacement bags.
The council is proactively replacing worn or faded bags by deploying a dedicated vehicle that follows recycling crews' rounds, aiming to service every household by spring.
The swap events were primarily intended for those whose bags were unusable and could not wait for the council’s distribution efforts. However, the council noted that some residents with bags that had discoloured but remained intact also attended these events, contributing to the overwhelming numbers.
Abe Bowen, a children’s entertainer from Weston-super-Mare who attended the first event, remarked on the lengthy wait, saying: “It was beyond us how the simple act of giving an old bag over and getting a new bag was taking so long.” He highlighted that many queuing in full sun were elderly, with no shade, water, or toilet facilities available, and that the event coincided with the hottest day recorded so far this year.
Initially, 6,000 red bags were trialled in November 2024 to positive feedback, despite some finding them overly large. Smaller bags were then procured and distributed district-wide from late March 2025, both sets supplied by the same reputable manufacturer.
While the trial bags did not present issues, those from the full rollout deteriorated within months. In December 2025, after extensive negotiations, the council secured a refund for the defective bags. It estimates that approximately 75% of the distributed bags require replacement and has received 88,000 replacement bags not affected by the defect.
The council advises: “Please continue to recycle while you wait for your new bag. You can use your existing recycling boxes and other containers, including carrier bags and boxes no larger than a standard recycling box, to sort recycling for collection if your red bag is unusable.”