Caerphilly County Borough Council has officially approved its ambitious Waste Strategy following a comprehensive 12-week public consultation and detailed consideration of feedback from residents.
The strategy, which sets the Council’s long-term plan to exceed statutory recycling and decarbonisation targets set by Welsh Government, was endorsed by full Council on 1st October 2024.
The strategy is built around five core objectives:
- Reduce overall waste arisings.
- Increase repair and reuse initiatives.
- Boost the proportion and quality of recycled material.
- Enhance the use of renewable energy.
- Support residents in managing their waste more sustainably.
Following a Cabinet meeting on the 18th September, a range of additional recommendations were approved to address concerns raised by the community during the consultation process, ensuring the strategy works for all residents.
These additions include:
- Introducing a sixth strategic objective targeting how waste outside the home is dealt with (including street cleanliness)
- Considering the storage implications that could occur with a move to the separation of recycling
- Extending the garden waste collections further into the year to offset the reduction in collections
- Further considering how to support larger families and elderly households
Cllr Chris Morgan, Cabinet Member for Waste, Leisure & Green Spaces commented:
“We are thrilled to move forward with our new waste strategy, which has taken onboard valuable feedback from residents, as we continue to work towards exceeding our Welsh Government statutory recycling targets.
“The Strategy outlines how CCBC aims to not only reach, but exceed future statutory targets through different measures that will both increase recycling rates and decrease overall waste output.
“The financial asks outlined within the strategy is necessary. These include a combined spend of CCBC funding, Welsh Government funding and borrowing that will ultimately contribute to future proofing the councils Waste and Recycling Services for residents.”
The approved strategy includes a £24.8 million investment of funding from the council with a £27.6 million contribution from Welsh Government. This will fund the development of a new recycling facility, the transition to ultra-low emission vehicles, and the necessary infrastructure to deliver these ambitious changes.
