Eight people fined at recycling site

Eight people have been fined for leaving materials outside the containers at the recycling banks in Burry Port.

Council environmental enforcement officers issued the fixed penalty notices for £75 as part of a targeted operation following a number of complaints from residents about the mess at the site in the Sea View Terrace car park.

The council says this is in effect fly-tipping and hopes these fines will act as a warning to others.

There are clear signs at all of the recycling sites in Carmarthenshire that fly-tippers will be prosecuted.

Residents are being urged to put their waste into the recycling banks and not leave it on the ground as this only attracts further fly-tipping.

The banks are emptied regularly but if they are full then people should take their waste home until they are serviced or use an alternative recycling site nearby.

Executive Board Member for Environmental and Public Protection Cllr Jim Jones said: “These sites are important facilities for communities and it is very disappointing that they are being misused in this way.

“We want to encourage people to recycle as much of their waste as possible, however, all types of rubbish are being dumped at the sites and it makes the area look unsightly. We appreciate people going to the effort of recycling and we do sympathise if the banks are full, but glass bottles left on the ground are also dangerous and can cause an injury.

“Many people use cardboard boxes to take their recycling to the sites, but they must bear in mind that there is no facility for cardboard recycling and they cannot just leave them on the ground.

“The sites are monitored and each has its own emptying schedule. The sites tend to be busy on weekends and the banks can fill up fast so if they are full please use another site or take your recycling home until they are emptied.”

Environmental enforcement officers say they are also stepping up patrols at the recycling site in nearby Pwll as food waste has been found in the paper bank.