Plans to expand ‘our city’s kerbside recycling service and phase out the use of around 10 million single‑use plastic bags each year have been approved by Swansea Council’s Cabinet.
The decision means residents will get new reusable containers for household recycling, including a hard‑plastic caddy for glass and cans and a resealable sack for paper and card.
Part of the plan also includes the intention to scrap the £2.50 charge to residents for the purchase of new garden waste sacks and will be provided free of charge in the future.
The approved plans form part of an intermediate programme designed to improve recycling performance ahead of a long‑term Waste Strategy.
They will make it easier for households to recycle, help reduce the city’s reliance on single‑use plastics and support Swansea in continuing to meet the Welsh Government’s statutory 70% recycling target.
A trial of soft plastic collections involving around 20% of homes will continue, with the Council seeking Welsh Government funding for changes at its Baling Plant to enable the service to expand county‑wide.
Cabinet has also approved further trials of additional materials for kerbside collection, including small waste electrical and electronic equipment (sWEEE) and textiles, to reduce fire risks from discarded batteries and increase recycling opportunities for residents.
The long-running Keep Recycling Out policy will be refreshed to help tackle the amount of recyclable waste still being placed in black bags.
Recent analysis has shown that around half of black‑bag waste could be recycled at the kerbside if correctly separated. A similar refresh to the “no recyclables in black bags” approach at Household Waste Recycling Centres has also been agreed.
Cllr Cyril Anderson, Cabinet Member for Community, said: “Overall, most residents are doing a great job by using our kerbside recycling collection service.
Many are recycling as much as they can and this is why we continue to meet the Welsh Government recycling target of 70%. We also know there are households who need to do more instead of placing the majority of their household waste in black bags.
“That is why we are looking at our own service and looking at ways to make it easier for residents, better for the environment and better value for money.
“There is a need to develop our longer‑term Waste Strategy and that will happen in the future. In the short term, we are looking at a number of things that can be introduced that I hope will keep Swansea as one of the best performing councils in Wales in terms of recycling.”
