Welsh councils maintain recycling rate increase

Provisional data published by the Welsh government today has shown that Wales recycling and composting rate has continued to rise, reaching 57% for the Q2 period between July and September last year.

Monmouthshirecouncil was the highest performing of all the Welsh local authorities during the Q2period achieving a recycling and composting rate of 66% – while Merthyr Tydfil the worst performing council – had a corresponding rate of 52%. (Editor’s note: this item was updated on 14 February).

Data published in November covering the first quarter of the year showed that for the first three months of 2013/14, Wales councils recycled 55% of their municipal waste, up 2% from the same quarter in the previous year.

This came afterthe Principalityhad met its statutory target to recycle 52% of the waste produced in 2012/13 (see letsrecycle.com story). The country is now working towards its second statutory target, which is to reach a 58% recycling, compost or reuse rate by 2015/16, which will then rise to 70% of waste by 2024/25.

‘Welsh households are taking advantage of weekly food waste collections, and campaigns such as Love Food, Hate Waste are helping people to waste less and save money on food shopping.’

Alun Davies, minister for natural resources and food

Increase

The provisional quarter two data suggests that Wales achieved a recycling and composting rate of 53% for the twelve months to the end of September 2013, an increase of one percentage point from the period ending September 2012.

Recycling rates traditionally fluctuate throughout the year, with the spring and summer months generating higher levels of recycling and composting compared to the winter.

Commenting on the quarter two figures, Wales minister for natural resources and food, Alun Davies, said: I want to thank households and councils in Wales for their efforts and commitment to recycling. Welsh households are taking advantage of weekly food waste collections, and campaigns such as Love Food, Hate Waste are helping people to waste less and save money on food shopping.

Its also great to see a continued decrease in black bin waste, it shows Wales is leading the way in the UK towards a zero waste future.

According to the Welsh Government, local authorities in rural areas have continued to have the highest recycling rates, averaging 55% for the 12 months to the end of September 2013, compared to valley (53%) and urban (52%) authorities.

In its analysis, the Welsh Government also identified Monmouthshire and Pembrokeshire as achieving the biggest increases in recycling rates with increases of 13% and 9% for dry recycling rates respectively. The increase in Monmouthshire is attributed to the introduction of restrictions on residual waste collections for household (see letsrecycle.com story).