A COUNCIL is urging residents to help generate electricity with their old plastic bags rather than recycling them.

Sevenoaks District Council, which oversees Swanley and New Ash Green, is asking residents to put old plastic bags along with their household rubbish in black sacks.

The sacks are sent to a waste plant and used as fuel to generate electricity for the National Grid.

Cabinet member with responsibility for refuse Councillor Avril Hunter said: "Changes in the market for recycled materials means we can no longer take plastic carrier bags for recycling.

“Even though they only make up a small part of the materials we pick up, the good news is they won't go to waste.”