Free food bin liners will no longer be supplied to residents living in Wokingham Borough.

The decision was taken to reduce the use of non-recyclable single-use plastics, according to the council.

Wokingham Borough Council look to save £120,000 a year with the move.

Council leader Cllr Clive Jones said: “The previous administration did not budget for these caddy liners, so to supply them we would have to take the money from something else.

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“In this perilous time when costs are rising across the board, it just doesn’t make sense for us to continue to supply these, particularly as they are bad for the environment.”

The last administration gave every household a supply of non-biodegradable single-use plastic caddy liners to line their kitchen food waste for the last two years.

The next annual delivery of bin bags in 2023 will not include food bags, and extra bags formerly available at libraries and other pick-up locations are no longer available.

Councilor environment, sport and leisure, Ian Shenton, said: “The caddy liners the council has been supplying for the last two years are not good for the environment – they are non-biodegradable single-use plastic.

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“Production and disposal of non-recyclable single-use plastics result in greenhouse gas emissions and often end up polluting our rivers and seas.

“At a time when we are encouraging all residents to decrease their use of single use plastics, it just doesn’t make sense for us to continue to supply food waste bags that are a single-use plastic.”

Cllr Shenton said residents can line their kitchen caddies with a compostable liner, newspaper or any soft plastic bag they have that they were going to throw away, such as carrier bags, bread bags, cereal bags or fruit and vegetable bags.

Or they can also instead line the bottom with newspaper or used kitchen paper, emptying it into the outdoor caddy, and wash both between uses, he said.

The council is working on a new waste collection strategy for when the current waste collection contract ends in 2026 and will be asking residents for their views on the options later this year.