Cardiff residents are set to see changes to their recycling services from this week as the council steps up efforts to hit national targets.
Cardiff Council has confirmed new measures aimed at boosting recycling and composting rates, as it works towards the Welsh Government’s legal target of 70%.
Recycling rates in the city have improved in recent years, reaching 64% in 2024/25, with early figures for this financial year already at 66.1%. However, the council says there is still a significant amount of recyclable material ending up in black bins.
Around 60% of waste currently thrown away could be recycled, including 19,000 tonnes that could go through existing kerbside collections. If captured, this could increase Cardiff’s recycling rate by nearly 10%.
To help close that gap, the council is introducing changes to make recycling easier for households.
From this week in April, collections of absorbent hygiene products, including nappies and incontinence waste, will move from fortnightly to weekly. The council hopes this will encourage more households to use the service and divert more waste away from general rubbish.
A further change is planned for later this year. From summer 2026, a new soft plastics recycling service will be introduced, allowing residents to recycle items such as plastic packaging and crisp packets from home. Additional recycling bags will be provided and collected alongside existing kerbside collections.
The changes form part of the council’s wider “Path to 70%” plan, which aims to reduce the amount of waste going into black bins and avoid potential fines for missing national targets.
Under Welsh Government rules, councils can face financial penalties if they fail to meet recycling targets, with fines of up to £200 per tonne for unrecycled waste.
The council says increasing participation and making it easier for residents to recycle more materials at home will be key to hitting the 70% target in the coming years.
