Ceredigion remains at the top of the Welsh recycling league
Written by Al Frean on 2 August 2017
Latest figures from the Welsh Government confirm that Ceredigion is once again the best recycling County in Wales.
This success follows the continued efforts and cooperation between the residents, Ceredigion County Council and its partners.
The simplicity of the services provided by the Council helps to encourage positive waste management and recycling. The Council uses clear bags for residents to recycle a wide range of materials. The bags are collected weekly along with separate containers for food waste; while black bags are only collected fortnightly. The same service is offered to the county’s schools, Council offices and the Council’s trade customers.
Councillor Ray Quant MBE, Cabinet Member for Technical Services explained that the Waste Management Service, like many others, is under pressure to review its activities and achieve efficiencies. “We would like to thank the residents of Ceredigion who consistently show the rest of Wales how to recycle. One simple action the Council has recently undertaken is changing the recycling bags used which has provided savings. These bags are fit for the purpose of collecting general household recyclable materials. The saving has been achieved through a procurement process which means we now use the same bags as other Councils who provide a similar service as ours.”
It is four times more expensive for the Council to deal with recyclable materials put into a black bag than if it had been put into the clear bag for collection. If everyone used the recycling, food waste collection or composted at home it would save the Council £280,000 per year. Half the waste that residents put in black bags could be recycled or put into the food waste bin.
Cllr Quant added, “We’re doing very well, but there is no room for complacency. We need to develop on the Caru Ceredigion approach already in place where local residents and the Council work together to achieve environmental and financial benefits which are good for all. The public are encouraged to do the right thing by recycling and putting their waste out in the right way and on the right day. We are considering options to encourage every household to recycle because it’s the right thing to do for the environment and for Council taxpayers.”
For more information on recycling, visit www.ceredigion.gov.uk/recycling
