Overall picture “positive” for recycling

The overall picture for Welsh recycling is positive for Wales, despite residual issues in South East Wales where rates remain well below the Welsh Government’s target.

The Welsh Government’s current waste strategy “Towards Zero Waste” has set a target of 70% recycling/composting of municipal waste by 2024-25.  To help achieve this overarching target, Statutory Recycling Targets have been set during key years, for 2015-16 a target of 58% is set for all local authority collected municipal waste.

• As a whole, Wales’ recycling rates are above target. The combined preparation for reuse, recycling and composting rate for Wales (known as the reuse/recycling/composting rate) rose over the 12 months to March, from 56% in 2015 to 60 % in 2016.
• 19 of 22 local authorities reached or exceeded this target.
• Ceredigion was the best performing LA – reaching 68%, whilst Blaenau Gwent was the lowest, falling to 49% from 50% a year earlier.
• Rural Authorities are the best performing as whole, with a rate of 62% compared to valley and urban authorities with a rate of 59%.

The three lowest performing councils in Wales were all in the south east, with Blaenau Gwent (49%), Torfaen (57%) and Newport (57%) all falling short of the target.

Shadow Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, David Melding, said:

“The overall picture is promising for Welsh councils, the vast majority of whom met the recycling target comfortably. It’s reflective of a change in attitudes across society towards recycling, and bodes well for the future.

“The general approach in this area of public policy – with clear targets, proper monitoring and evaluation – is an approach which should be more widely adopted across Welsh Government.

“Unfortunately, however, there are pockets of Wales and in particular the south east, where recycling rates remain stubbornly low and that requires investigation from the Welsh Government.”