Recycling rates continue to rise in Wales

Quarterly recycling data published for the period between October and December 2012, shows that Wales had a recycling rate of around 52% for the third quarter of the year.

This means that for the first three quarters of the year, Wales is on track to meet its first statutory recycling target, after having achieved a 52.5% rate during the first quarter of the year, and 53.6% during the second quarter.

The Welsh Government has set a target for the country to recycle, compost or reuse 52% of its waste by the end of 2012/13, which will then rise to 70% of waste by 2024/25.

And, the data also shows that for the 12 months to the end of December 2012, Wales achieved a combined reuse, recycling and composting rate of 52%, compared to 49% for the 12 months to the end of December 2011.

But the figures do show that while the total amount of local authority municipal waste generated in Wales has generally been decreasing, in October to December 2012 the amount of waste generated was 2 % higher than for the same quarter in 2011.

Progress

This also meant that the amount of residual waste produced per person also increased from 53kg per person for the same quarter the previous year to 54kg per person.

Denbighshire council topped the table for the highest recycling local authority, overall, recycling 57% of its waste during the last three months of 2012, followed by Powys and Caerphilly who both achieved recycling rates of 56%. And, despite being in an urban area, Cardiffs recycling rate reached around 54%.

Commenting on the figures, minister for natural resources Alun Davies, said: I am delighted that 13 of Waless local authorities have met or surpassed our first statutory recycling target three months early.

Our targets are very ambitious and so this is no mean feat. I am grateful to councils across Wales for the hard work they have put in to improving their collection services which have driven up recycling rates.

It is also thanks to the efforts of the people of Wales who are far more aware of the environmental impact of their rubbish than ever before and are thinking twice before throwing everything into a black bag. However, we still have some way to go if we are to continue to achieve our ambitious recycling targets and I encourage everyone to spend a few extra minutes each week to separate out and recycle their rubbish.