The proposed facility is planned for Dyffryn Business Park in Ystrad Mynach, with initial plans for the site first announced in September 2025.
Once operational, the depot will enable dry recycling collected at the kerbside to be sorted and baled within the county borough, rather than being transported to material recycling facilities (MRFs) elsewhere in the UK.
According to the council, the development forms a key part of its Waste and Recycling Strategy and will support the implementation of the Welsh Government’s “blueprint” collection model from 2028.
The blueprint approach was agreed by Caerphilly’s cabinet on 23 July 2025.
Caerphilly recycling depot
The proposed depot will be equipped with advanced sorting and baling technology designed to improve the quality of recyclate and reduce reliance on external contractors.
Plans also include insulated glass storage containers to minimise noise impacts, as well as enclosed food waste storage areas which will be emptied daily to maintain hygiene standards.
The new site would replace the council’s existing operations depot at Tir-y-berth and is intended to deliver operational efficiencies alongside environmental benefits.
A pre-application consultation, a formal stage within the planning process, is now open. Residents and stakeholders are being encouraged to review the proposals online and provide feedback before a full planning application is submitted.
Wales’s recycling targets
Government statistics released in January 2026 showed that Wales’s overall recycling rate has risen to 68.4%, an increase of nearly two percentage points on the previous year.
However, the data also highlighted ongoing variation in performance across local authorities.
Caerphilly recorded a recycling rate of 61.6%, making it the lowest-performing council in Wales for 2024 and below the current statutory target.
The council has previously acknowledged the need for infrastructure investment and service changes to address this gap, with the new depot forming a central part of that approach.
The development aligns with the Welsh Government’s long-term ambitions for waste and recycling.
The “blueprint” collections model, first published in 2011, provides a framework for Wales’s 22 local authorities to improve consistency of services, reduce collection costs and increase recycling rates.
Wales currently has statutory targets requiring councils to recycle at least 64% of waste, rising to 70% by 2024/25.
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