Carmarthenshire celebrates 10 years of Recycle Week

THIS week celebrates the 10th anniversary of Recycle Week in Wales.

And in that time, recycling rates in Carmarthenshire have soared.

Figures have risen from just 9.4% in 2003 to an impressive 53% today – putting Carmarthenshire in the top five Welsh local authorities for recycling its rubbish.

Executive Board Member for Technical Services Cllr Colin Evans said: “When we look how far we have come in the last 10 years, it is quite astonishing. The people of Carmarthenshire should pat themselves on the back for a job well done.

“Achieving high rates of recycling represents a significant milestone of achievement; but there’s still a long way to go, and with a little more effort and thought, we can recycle even more.”

A number of initiatives are underway to help residents in the county to recycle including newly appointed community recycling advisors; help for the over 50s to recycle glass and recycling banks for small electrical appliances.

One of the main roles of the community recycling advisors is to encourage people to recycle their food waste.

“We need to make sure residents put any leftover food waste into their green bins and that they put them out for collection every week,” said Cllr Evans.

“And it’s not just the kitchen we should be thinking about when it comes to recycling. We accumulate rubbish from every room in the house, much of which can be recycled – think about toilet roll tubes in the bathroom, clothing tags and cosmetic boxes in the bedroom and newspapers and magazines in the lounge – they can all be recycled.”

Residents are also being urged to ‘Recycle on the Go’ and use the street litter recycling bins in towns and villages throughout the county – you could even win a prize! Recycling officers will be out and about during Recycle Week and people who correctly recycle their rubbish will be rewarded.