Seven per cent increase in recycling rate

IMPROVEMENTS carried out at the county’s Household Waste Recycling Centres has already seen a 7% increase in the recycling rate.

The council’s Environment Scrutiny Committee set up a Task and Finish Group to carry out a review of the HWRCs (formerly known as civic amenity sites).

There are five in Carmarthenshire for residents to dispose of and recycle their rubbish – from garden waste to electricals to carpets and mattresses.

Four of the sites at Trostre (Llanelli), Wernddu (Ammanford), Nantycaws (Carmarthen) and Whitland are operated on behalf of the council by CWM Environmental Ltd and the fifth site at Llangadog is operated by AWS Ltd.

One of the main aims of the review was to look at the recycling rates being achieved at the sites and how they could be improved.

The group, which was being chaired by Cllr Jim Jones and also included Cllr Keith Davies, Cllr Mari Davies, Cllr David Jenkins and Cllr Huw Morgan, visited each of the sites as well as two out-of-county sites in Pembroke and Briton Ferry.

A number of initiatives were introduced during the course of the review on a pilot basis including a ‘meet and greet’, improvements to layout and infrastructure and an increase in staffing levels at Trostre and Nantycaws.

New signage is being installed at all of the sites and residents can now deposit blue bags as well as pick up extra bags if they are running out.

This has already had a positive effect on the recycling rate increasing from 57% in March to almost 64% by October.

Cllr Jones said: “More than 40% of our total waste passes through these sites demonstrating just how important these facilities have become to the overall recycling agenda within Carmarthenshire.

“Increasing the amount of waste that is recycled at these sites will not only help the council to achieve its recycling targets but will also have financial benefits. Landfill tax is continuing to rise and the council faces possible fines if we don’t achieve Welsh Government targets to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

“It is vital we recycle as much of the waste going into these sites as possible and hopefully the recommendations put forward by the group will help to achieve this.”

Carmarthenshire is currently recycling/composting approximately 50% of its waste, but must achieve a figure of 52% by 2012/13, rising to 70% by 2024/25.

The council must also reduce the amount of waste being landfilled to 50% by 2013 (of the weight landfilled in 1995) and 35% by 2020.

Recommendations put forward by the group included extending the winter opening hours, expanding the range of recycling facilities to include material such as ceramics, soft plastics and tyres and a permit system to allow recyclable waste from traders.

The group has also asked for a feasibility study to be carried out on the cost and benefits of having two additional HWRCs in the county; one in the north and one to the west of Llanelli. However, the committee heard that there was no capital funding to develop such sites at present.

Director of Technical Services Richard Workman thanked the Task and Finish group for the report. He said: “I would like to thank the members for all the useful work that has been carried out as part of the review and also thank the public for their continued enthusiasm and commitment to recycling using the HWRCs and through participation at the kerbside.”

The report will now go before the Executive Board in due course.