A new recycling scheme for soft plastics is set to be rolled out across the Vale of Glamorgan following a successful pilot.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council confirmed the service will be extended county-wide from Monday, April 13, after strong participation from residents in Penarth, Dinas Powys, Sully and surrounding areas.
The Vale was chosen to trial the scheme last year due to its strong recycling performance, with the council consistently ranked among the best performing local authorities in the UK.
During the pilot, around 100 tonnes of soft plastics were collected. This includes items such as plastic bags and wrapping that would typically end up in black bin waste and not be recycled.
Colin Smith, Head of Neighbourhood Services, said: “The Vale is renowned as a place that cares about the planet, where people do all they can to support new ways of recycling. That is why WRAP Cymru decided we should be one of the first areas in Wales to pilot this recycling method.
“Once again, our residents have stepped up to embrace a new service, making the trial a huge success.
“That means this system can be expanded to cover the entire Vale.
“I’d like to thank citizens of Penarth, Dinas Powys and Sully for their fantastic response as we continue to work together towards Project Zero, our commitment to become a carbon neutral Local Authority by 2030 and a carbon neutral country by 2050.
“I’m sure people living in other areas of the Vale will show the same backing and maintain our status as one of the industry leaders in the field of recycling.”
The trial was monitored by WRAP Cymru, which assessed participation levels along with the impact on collections and waste processing.
The new service builds on the council’s source-separated recycling system introduced in 2019, which requires residents to sort waste by material type rather than placing everything into a single bag. Since then, additional recycling services for textiles and small electrical items have also been introduced.
Residents across the Vale should already have received blue sacks for soft plastics, with further supplies available from local libraries and the council’s Civic Offices.
Guidance on what can be placed in the sacks has been provided in an accompanying leaflet and is also available on the council’s website.
Details for properties such as apartment buildings, where kerbside collections are not in place, are expected to be confirmed in due course.
