Recycling rates improve

Created on 16/07/2016 @ 08:04

Just as residents petition about Powys County Council’s recycling policy on plastics, the council has revealed recycling rates in the area have risen.

Last week MyWelshpool reported about a petition launched to demand the council takes plastic recycling boxes no matter what plastics are in them.

It followed a policy change of plastic film and other plastics that the council no longer recycles.

Today, the council has revealed the county recycled more than 3,800 tonnes of material in May, 67.2% of all material and well above the county’s statutory target of 58% of material being recycled during the year.

May’s performance has set the county on target for an annual rate of 62% with an estimated 40,900 tonnes to be recycled, but the council has warned that it can’t be complacent and that work has to continue if future targets are to be met.

Cabinet Member for Waste, Councillor John Powell said: “May’s performance is excellent news but it is just one month and the challenge facing us is to maintain existing levels and improve performance in the coming months.

“Changes in kerbside and improved rates at the county’s various household waste recycling centres has helped push performance to a level that will be needed in coming years. We can’t be complacent, although the rates for May were above 67 per cent we anticipate the overall rate for 2016/17 will settle to around 62% still comfortably above our target for the year but the target for 2019/20 is 64% so there is work to do.

“As a result of the increase in recycling the amount of residual waste that is being sent to landfill is falling, with 26% per cent less being processed this may compared with 2015. We estimate that 10% of that reduction was due to kerbside collection with the remaining 16% down to the improved performance at household waste centres.”