Newport has been confirmed as one of the top five recycling areas in Wales.
The confirmation follows the publication of annual recycling figures for Welsh councils for the 2024 to 2025 financial year by the Welsh Government.
Newport’s recycling rate of 71.4 per cent, announced in June, places the city fifth out of the 22 council areas in Wales for 2024 to 2025.
This is the highest recycling rate ever recorded in Newport and means the city comfortably met the Welsh Government target of 70 per cent.
The figure positions Newport as one of the best performing cities in Wales and across the UK for recycling. The average recycling rate for UK councils is 44.6 per cent, with Newport outperforming cities including Liverpool, Birmingham and Nottingham.
Provisional figures for the first half of 2025 to 2026 show recycling has increased further to 72.8 per cent, with the city on track to exceed 73 per cent by the end of the financial year.
Councillor Yvonne Forsey, cabinet member for climate change, waste and recycling, said the results reflect sustained effort over recent years.
She said the confirmation was welcome news and showed Newport was moving in the right direction. She also thanked residents and businesses for their continued commitment, adding that their efforts were making a real difference to the city.
While the 2024 to 2025 recycling rate was strong, Newport Council is aiming to exceed 73 per cent during 2025 to 2026.
Since April 2025, a range of actions have been introduced to further increase recycling levels.
These include dedicated recycling collections and bins in the city centre for residents living in flats, as well as a programme of pop up recycling centre events that bring services directly into local communities. The next event will take place on Saturday 31 January at Alway Community Centre between 9.30am and 2.30pm.
The council has also increased direct engagement with residents around food waste recycling, including how to use the service and what happens to collected waste. Recent waste composition analysis found that around 43 per cent of material placed in general waste bins could be recycled. Food waste accounts for 27 per cent of this and currently costs the council more than £440,000 a year in disposal charges.
Figures for the first three quarters of 2025 to 2026 show food waste collections are up by 10 per cent compared to the same period in 2024 to 2025.
In addition, more promotion and funding has been directed towards reuse, repair and borrowing initiatives across the city. A total of £250,000 has been provided through the Reuse Newport fund to support projects that help reduce waste and keep items in use for longer.
