Executive Board confident of reaching 52% recycling rate

COUNCILLORS say they are confident of reaching next year’s 52% recycling target.

It follows a report from the Environment Scrutiny Committee which set up a Task and Finish group to review the county’s Household Waste Recycling Centres (formerly known as civic amenity sites).

The Executive Board have welcomed the report which shows a 7% increase in the recycling rate at the sites since the group was set up.

Members say if all the recommendations put forward are implemented it will have a positive effect on the county’s overall recycling rate and help to achieve the 52% recycling/composting target set by the Welsh Government for 2012/13. The county is currently recycling around 50% of its waste.

Council leader Meryl Gravell said: “The Task and Finish Group have done an excellent job on their review of the recycling centres. One of the maim aims was to look at the recycling rates being achieved at the sites and how they could be improved and I am delighted that already we have seen a big improvement in the recycling figures.

“Increasing the amount of waste that is recycled at these sites will help us to achieve the 52% recycling target next year. We must also reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and if we don’t we could get fined; so there are financial benefits also.”

More than 40% of Carmarthenshire’s total waste passes through the recycling centres at Trostre (Llanelli), Wernddu (Ammanford), Nantycaws (Carmarthen); Whitland and Llangadog so it is vital as much of it as possible is recycled instead of going to landfill.

A number of improvements, as recommended by the group, have been introduced on a pilot basis including a ‘meet and greet’, new layout and infrastructure and an increase in staffing levels at some sites which has already seen the recycling rate increase from 57% in March to almost 64% by October.

Further improvements are now planned such as 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 recycling centres at Trostre (Llanelli), Wernddu (Ammanford), Nantycaws (Carmarthen) and Whitland are operated on behalf of the council by CWM Environmental Ltd and Llangadog is operated by AWS Ltd.

Director of Technical Services Richard Workman thanked the Task and Finish group, which was chaired by Cllr Jim Jones and also included Cllr Keith Davies, Cllr Mari Davies, Cllr David Jenkins and Cllr Huw Morgan, for their hard work.

The report is due to go before the Executive Board on February 20.