As 2025 draws to a close, so too does our event season, capped off with the LARAC Collection Conference, the last big hurrah before we buckle down for what’s shaping up to be a defining couple of years. Because let’s face it, 2026 is just around the corner, and with it, a ticking countdown to April 2027, when mandatory kerbside collections for flexible plastics become law. Local authorities, it’s time to get moving.
Flexible Futures Are Coming, Are You Ready?
The big headline from this year’s LARAC Collections Conference? Everyone’s talking about Simpler Recycling, but we’re already eyeing what’s next. Flexible packaging is the elephant in the room, and in less than 18 months, every council will need to have a solution in place. And not just any solution — one that’s reliable, recognisable, and proven to work. Enter the Flex Collect Bags.
The FlexCollect project gave us the data to back what we’ve long suspected: when you hand residents a proper bag for the job, participation soars, contamination drops, and MRFs have fewer headaches to deal with. Supply the bag, and the public delivers the plastic, clean, dry, and sorted. Don’t supply one? Expect a mess of wrong materials, black sacks, and good intentions gone awry.
Plan Now or Pay Later
If you’re waiting until 2026 to start planning your flexible plastic collection system, you’re already on the back foot. Cromwell Polythene is already working with forward-thinking local authorities to test, trial, and tailor Flex Collect Bag solutions that will actually work at scale.
From durable 40-micron printed bags to strategic colour coding (purple or blue, not just because they look nice, but because they’re instantly identifiable), we’re helping councils get their infrastructure in place now, not in a blind panic next winter.
We’re not just flinging bags at the problem either. Cromwell’s advice is rooted in real-life operations and tested outcomes. We communicate with MRFs and support public engagement with clear, purposeful communication, because what good is a bag if no one knows what it’s for?
2025 May Be Over, But the Work Starts Now
This year’s events were a blast, with insightful talks at every event from LARAC Scotland earlier this year to the Coventry based Collections Conference. Nearing 2026, we’re entering a critical phase for waste and recycling reform, and Cromwell is ready to support authorities with practical, compliant, and cost-effective solutions. The Flex Collect Bag isn’t just a product, it’s a plan. A promise. A way to futureproof your services before the legislation slams into gear.
If you’re in waste management or local authority collections and haven’t yet mapped out your flexible film strategy, make 2026 your year of action. Speak to Cromwell Polythene. Get ahead. Get your Flex Collect Bag solution in place before you’re forced to rush it.
Because 2027 isn’t far off. And the last thing any council wants is to scramble at the final whistle.
Contact us today:
T: 01977 686 868
E: info@cromwellpolythene.co.uk
W: www.cromwellpolythene.co.uk