Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet will meet on Monday, 29 July 2024, to decide the next steps of recycling service improvements in order to meet the Welsh Government’s future recycling targets.
Carmarthenshire County Council say they are obligated to meet the Welsh Government’s 70% recycling target for 2024/2025 and work to achieve the anticipated 80% target by 2030, and zero waste by 2050. Councils that fail to meet their statutory obligation can be fined £200 for each tonne or £164,000 per 1% below the statutory target.
A recent waste composition analysis by the Council found that 39.2% of waste collected in black bags, was recyclable. The council says a move to a four-weekly collection is being considered to encourage residents to prioritise recycling and waste reduction practices.
The Council plans to increase the number of recyclable materials collected at the kerbside and move away from non-reusable recycling containers (blue bags).
The proposal under consideration will beweekly collections for recyclable waste that is separated at the kerbside into:
- Cans and plastic, including plastic film, in reusable containers.
- Food waste in separate caddies.
- Glass in black boxes.
- Paper and cardboard in separate reusable containers.
- Textiles and batteries in separate reusable containers.
There are also proposals to relocate and centralise its workforce depot to Nantycaws and review operational shift working patterns.
The council is planning on purchasing 9 ultra-low emission (ULEV) collection vehicles with part of Welsh Government’s £15m funding package that it has bid for to make the changes to the waste collection services.
Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services – Cllr Edward Thomas said: “Thanks to our residents, in Carmarthenshire we can be very proud of our contribution in making Wales second best in the world for recycling.
“The initial waste service changes, that were introduced in January 2023, have been successful in boosting recycling rates to over 70% and enabled us to pave the way to the second phase of our Waste Strategy, which aligns with other Welsh authorities and promotes Carmarthenshire’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
“We have already begun consulting with staff and trade unions on these changes, and should Cabinet approve these plans, we will continue to listen to them and engage with the residents of Carmarthenshire to ensure a smooth and orderly transition in 2026.”
Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet will meet on Monday, 29 July 2024 to discuss the proposed changes to waste collections.
(Lead image: Carmarthenshire Council)
