Torfaen to roll out ‘skinny bins’ in 2015

A consultation was launched in June on three proposed options aimed at reducing the amount of residual waste generated and boosting recycling. Torfaen currently recycles 52% of its waste but is looking to increase this to 58% in 2015/16, and 70% by 2025.

The Welsh Government has warned that councils may face fines of around £100,000 for every 1% they fall below these targets.

Torfaen residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of maintaining the existing fortnightly residual waste collection service, but replacing the container from a 240-litre with a 140-litre wheeled bin – dubbed ‘skinny bins’ by the local authority.

The council has also pledged that it will offer a fortnightly collection of nappies and absorbent hygiene products, while extra collections will be provided at Christmas.

Recycling

Other recyclables – including plastics, glass, metals and cartons – are collected in a black box on a weekly basis, as well as a weekly collection for food waste. Torfaen does not plan to change recycling collections when it rolls out the new service in early 2015.

Councillor John Cunningham, Torfaen’s executive member for Neighbourhoods, said: “Reducing the amount of general waste that is collected at the kerbside is a proven way of increasing recycling rates and we need more people to use the kerbside recycling facilities if we are to meet Welsh Government’s targets.

“The public have told us that of the three options we consulted on, smaller bins, collected fortnightly, are their preferred option. While this doesn’t represent the most cost efficient option for the council, councillors have listened to what the public has to say.

“We are confident that under this new system we will meet our recycling targets and avoid the huge fines that we are faced with if we don’t.”

The roll out of the smaller containers is set to cost the council a total of £754,000, but the council claims that this will be offset by the savings it makes from avoiding landfill costs. Councillors also voted for an amendment to the proposals and moved to introduce liners for food waste caddies. The estimated net cost to provide liners is an additional £26,000 per year and the council will seek external sources of funding to cover these costs.