Residents Asked For Their Views On Recycling

Residents in Torfaen are being asked for their ideas to encourage communities to recycle more of their household waste. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The council is asking residents for their suggestions which will contribute to a new strategy to guide its waste management service until 2025. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Torfaen currently recycles about 58 per cent of its waste and all councils are required to recycle 70 per cent of all waste collected by 2025 or risk significant fines. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Executive member for neighbourhood services, councillor John Cunningham, said: “We need to meet some strict targets set out by Welsh Government in the next 10 years ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“While many residents do a fantastic job with their recycling, only 60 per cent of households recycle every week, and only around half recycle their food waste. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Most of the waste produced by the average home can be recycled free of charge at the kerbside and there should be very little going into the general waste. We want to understand what the barriers are and what else we can do to encourage those in the community who don’t currently recycle to start doing it.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

To contribute to the survey visit https://mysay.torfaen.gov.uk/consult.ti/wastemanagementstrategy/consultationHome you can also request to fill in a hard copy at the World Heritage Centre in Blaenavon, civic offices in Pontypool, or customer care centre in Cwmbran Library. You can also request a copy over the phone on 01495 766720. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​