Why Your New Recycling Red Bags Are Literally Falling Apart at the Seams

If you’ve noticed your new North Somerset recycling red bags fading or literally falling apart, you’re not alone. Residents have reported bags losing their vibrant red color and splitting at the seams, prompting the council to take action.

North Somerset Council is currently engaged in extensive discussions with the supplier after widespread reports of bag failures. Council cabinet member for planning and environment, Annemieke Waite (Winford, Green), addressed the issue during a full council meeting on November 11: “It’s a very strange thing.”

Waite explained that the red bags used during the initial trial last November were in “perfect condition.” However, the subsequent larger order of bags distributed to all households has proven problematic. “Some of the red bags are fading, some are failing, and they are literally falling apart at the seams. So we are having extensive discussions with the supplier. We are not happy at all,” she said.

In response, the council has deployed teams to assess the extent of the fading and failures. Discussions are ongoing regarding how to resolve the issue financially with the supplier. Waite acknowledged that the supplier is a reputable company, one of only two in the UK producing these specific recycling bags, which are used by many councils. “We know that we are not the only council experiencing this problem,” she added.

Clare Hunt, Chair of the Council (Nailsea Youngwood, Labour), reflected on the situation: “I know by trying to improve something we seem to have made things a little bit worse.”

The red bags for plastic and metal recycling were introduced on a trial basis to 6,000 households in November 2024. By the end of March, they were rolled out across all households in North Somerset. The bags were designed to make recycling easier to sort and increase capacity, ultimately helping improve the value of recyclable materials, which offsets waste collection costs.