Caerphilly County Borough Council are on a mission to boost recycling rates and this week work has begun to help further improve the quality of recyclable materials collected at kerbside.
In a Cabinet meeting, which took place on Wednesday 18th October, Members agreed the implementation of an enhanced education and engagement process which incorporates letters, home visits and, in a small number of cases, the option to serve legal notice on persistent offenders of kerbside recycling contamination.
The borough’s existing kerbside recycling method includes a brown wheeled bin for all mixed dry recycling. Whilst this method results in the capture of significant dry recycling tonnage, the nature of the containers provided results in a minority of residents placing inappropriate waste into their recycling bin.
There are currently high levels of contamination within the borough’s brown recycling bins, with almost a quarter of all material collected at the kerbside for recycling not able to be processed as recycling.
Local authorities are required to meet strict Welsh Government recycling targets and Caerphilly is working hard to ensure it reaches the 2024/25 target of 70%, as well as even higher rates announced for the coming years.
Cllr Chris Morgan, Cabinet Member for Waste, Leisure & Green spaces said: “We are happy to announce the commencement of our new process, which will to increase the quality of our kerbside recycling whilst helping to tackle contamination.
“This new process aims to help residents to recycle correctly, by providing the information, advice and guidance needed, whilst ensuring that the work of those residents who are consistently doing the right thing does not go to waste.”
