REPORT LOOKS AT HOW TO ACHIEVE 70% RECYCLING TARGET

A report has gone before councillors in Carmarthenshire to consider how the council can meet the 70% recycling target by 2024/25.

The Environmental and Public Protection Scrutiny Committee yesterday discussed the future of the council’s waste service.

Carmarthenshire has come a long way since 2003 when just 9.4% of our household rubbish was being recycled.

Now we are recycling around 59/60% of the 78,000 tonnes of waste collected every year from 87,000 households.

However, more needs to be done if the county is to achieve future, more challenging targets or risk huge financial penalties (approximately £160,000 for every 1% below the target).

Issues discussed by the committee included the procurement for the long-term treatment, recycling and disposal of the county’s waste; new refuse vehicles costing in the region of £4-£4.5million; the introduction of new refuse collection routes for a more efficient service; the provision of food bin liners and the cessation of garden waste collections.

Scrutiny Chair Cllr Peter Cooper said: “The waste agenda is very important, from both an environmental point of view as well as financially.

“To date, Carmarthenshire has performed extremely well; however, we must look at how we continue to deliver the service in order to achieve future recycling targets.

“The committee had a lively debate on the issues involved to help decide the best way forward for the county.”

The report will now go before the Executive Board for a final decision.