Torfaen consults on monthly waste collections

Torfaen council in South Wales, has today (June 3) launched its delayed consultation on plans to increase recycling rates in the borough, which includes the possible collection of residual waste on a four-weekly basis.

The consultation, which asks residents for their views on three proposed options for the future of waste collections in the borough, had been delayed while councillors scrutinised the plans further.

Having been approved by Torfaens cabinet, residents have until June 30 to respond to the consultation which outlines the projected savings each of the three options would create.

Each option is projected to achieve a recycling rate of 69-70% and result in a year on year financial saving for the council.

It is proposed that the changes will come into effect from early 2015.

Residents currently have a 240 litre capacity black wheeled bin for residual waste, collected on a fortnightly basis, alongside a 240 litre green bin for garden waste, also collected fortnightly between the months of March and November. The council provides a blue bag for cardboard, which is also collected every two weeks.

Other recyclables – including plastics, glass (unbroken), metals and cartons – are collected in a black box on a weekly basis, as well as a weekly collection for food waste. Torfaen has no plans to change recycling collections as part of the service change.

Options

A – Maintain a fortnightly collection but with a smaller, 140 litre wheelie bin

• The council would remove the old 240 litre bin and replace it with a free 140 litre bin.
• This option would result in an annual saving of 78,000.
• During the first year there will be an additional cost to the Council of 754,000 to purchase the new smaller bins and promotional costs.

B – A fortnightly collection of two refuse bags per household

• The council would provide the bags free of charge to residents.
• This option would result in an annual saving of 138,000.
• During the first year there will be an additional cost to the council of 38,000 to cover promotional costs.

C – A monthly collection using the existing 240 litre black wheelie bin

• This option would result in an annual saving of 56,000.
• During the first year there will be an additional cost to the council of 57,000 to cover promotional costs.

If residents favoured the third option, Torfaen would be the first local authority in the UK to collect residual waste on a four weekly basis. Since last month, Falkirk council in Scotland collects residual waste from some households on a three-weekly basis, with Gwynedd in North Wales to follow suit from October.

Targets

Torfaen has put forward the three options for a public consultation in order to boost its 52% recycling rate and meet the Welsh statutory target to recycle 58% of waste by 2016. Welsh councils face the prospect of fines in the region of 100,000 for every 1% by which they fall below these targets.

Councillor John Cunningham, Torfaen councils executive member for neighbourhood services, said: We need to encourage far more people to recycle if we want to avoid being hit with huge fines and restricting the amount of general waste we collect will encourage residents who dont recycle to use the facilities available to them.

Our officers have identified three options that represent our best chance of meeting the future targets and we are asking Torfaen residents tell us which option they prefer. We will also be holding a series of road shows and question and answer session on social media in the coming weeks.