Council commended for progress made on waste and recycling

CARMARTHENSHIRE is making good progress towards meeting national targets on waste reduction.

The Wales Audit Office’s Annual Improvement Report said the council has maintained a strong focus on meeting national recycling targets.

Improvement has been made in relatively small steps, but had been made consistently and over a number of years.

Although official figures have not yet been released, the council expects to exceed the 52% recycling/composting statutory target set by Welsh Government for 2012/13.

The report added: “. . . the service has a very strong awareness of national waste minimisation targets, and the implications of not achieving them. This has led to a very focused approach, which is a strength. “

Council Leader Kevin Madge said: “I am very pleased that the report has highlighted the good work being carried out by the council’s waste and recycling section.

“A number of initiatives are underway across the county to make it as easy as possible for our residents to reduce and recycle their rubbish.

“All local authorities in Wales have targets to meet for both recycling and how much rubbish can go to landfill; and if we do not meet these targets we will receive severe financial penalties. It is therefore vital that we continue this good work.”

Each year, the Auditor General must report on how well Welsh councils, fire and rescue authorities, and national parks are planning for improvement and delivering their services. Drawing on the work of the relevant Welsh inspectorates, as well as work undertaken on his behalf by the Wales Audit Office, this report presents a picture of improvement over the last year.

Executive Board Member for Street Scene Cllr Colin Evans said: “The report also referred to public engagement and how vital that is if we are to improve our recycling rates.

“We recognise how important it is to work with residents and we have recently employed new recycling advisors to go out into the community and offer advice and support to householders. We also need to make better use of the information we receive from residents.

“I would like to thank staff and residents for all their hard work; we still have a long way to go to reach 70% recycling by 2025, but if we work together we can continue to build on our success.”