Cabinet to consider changes to waste collections

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet will meet on Monday, 29 July 2024, to decide the next steps of recycling service improvements in order to meet the Welsh Government’s future recycling targets.

The first phase of the County Council’s Waste Strategy was introduced in January 2023 and, thanks to the efforts of Carmarthenshire residents, the county now recycles over 70% of its waste. 

Carmarthenshire County Council is obligated to meet the Welsh Government’s 70% recycling target for 2024/2025 and work to achieve the anticipated 80% target by 2030, and zero waste by 2050. Councils that fail to meet their statutory obligation can be fined £200 for each tonne or £164,000 per 1% below the statutory target. 

Cabinet members will consider how the Council will implement the second phase of the Waste Strategy, in partnership with communities across Carmarthenshire. This will allow residents to be better equipped to recycle more of its waste and meet future recycling targets that are set by the Welsh Government.

The Council plans to increase the number of recyclable materials collected at the kerbside and move away from non-reusable recycling containers (blue bags). The proposal under consideration will be weekly collections for recyclable waste that is separated at the kerbside into:

• Cans and plastic, including plastic film, in reusable containers.
• Food waste in separate caddies.
• Glass in black boxes.
• Paper and cardboard in separate reusable containers.
• Textiles and batteries in separate reusable containers.

To deliver the most cost-effective and resource-efficient waste service in the long term, the Cabinet will consider the proposals of relocating and centralising workforce depot to Nantycaws and review operational shift working patterns. Whilst these proposals provide many operational and strategic benefits, the opinion and support of our staff and workforce opinion are important. As such, the Council has undertaken a comprehensive programme of staff engagement and consultation across the front-line crew at all of its depots. Discussions are already underway with trade unions and the Council is committed to regularly meeting with them to address potential concerns.

These proposals have no impact on the household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) at Nantycaws, Trostre, Wern Ddu and Whitland.

A recent waste composition analysis by the Council found that 39.2% of waste collected in black bags, was recyclable. In order to align with the Welsh Government’s blueprint collection methodology, the move to a four-weekly collection is being considered to encourage residents to prioritise recycling and waste reduction practices.

With the potential for less frequent collections of black bags, individuals are incentivised to maximise their use of recycling services and reduce the amount of residual waste generated.

The waste service change necessitates the replacement of our current waste collection fleet. As part of this transition, the Authority proposes to implement 9 ultra-low emission (ULEV) collection vehicles, that would be procured using Welsh Government funding. This would equate to 25% of the Council’s waste fleet and reduce the carbon emissions of the service.

To assist with the change to the waste collection service and the wider creation of the infrastructure associated with the scheme, Carmarthenshire County Council has successfully secured funding from the Welsh Government of over £15 million.

Subject to Cabinet approval, the Waste Strategy report will be reviewed by the Place, Sustainability & Climate Change Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, 31 July.

Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services - Cllr Edward Thomas said:

Thanks to our residents, in Carmarthenshire we can be very proud of our contribution in making Wales second best in the world for recycling.

The initial waste service changes, that were introduced in January 2023, have been successful in boosting recycling rates to over 70% and enabled us to pave the way to the second phase of our Waste Strategy, which aligns with other Welsh authorities and promotes Carmarthenshire's commitment to environmental responsibility.

We have already begun consulting with staff and trade unions on these changes, and should Cabinet approve these plans, we will continue to listen to them and engage with the residents of Carmarthenshire to ensure a smooth and orderly transition in 2026.”

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet will meet on Monday, 29 July 2024 to discuss the proposed changes to waste collections.