Lesley Griffiths, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, said the money will be distributed as part of the government’s Collaborative Change Programme – an initiative set up in partnership with the WLGA to help underachieving boroughs boost their recycling rates.
Under Welsh Government targets, 22 councils are expected to record an average recycling rate of 60% by 2016, and 70% by 2025.
But in a recent interview with letsrecycle.com, Mrs Griffiths conceded that the recycling rates “have slowed down” and was even considering more punitive measures such as fines for councils that do not hit the statutory targets (see letsrecycle.com story).
Addressing concerns that Welsh local government funding would suffer as a result of Brexit, she added that “every penny” received councils via the EU would be matched by the UK government.
The latest round of funding indicates the newly-appointed Minister will follow her predecessors in attempting to incentivise councils through the Change Programme.
In June 2015, Natural Resources Minister Carl Sargeant announced £3 million in funding to be divided between four councils: Flintshire, Neath Port Talbot, Wrexham and Newport.
The Programme’s Assessment and Award Panel has this year approved a total of 12 applications from 10 local authorities.
Flintshire
These include the same four councils, with Flintshire to benefit from over £1.5 million to spend implementing changes to its household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs) and invest in new vehicles.
Wrexham has been awarded over £376,000 for additional kerbside recycling containers, Newport £730,000 to invest in improved flats recycling, and Neath Port Talbot £688,000 to use on a new recycling service – Recycle+ – as well as vehicles and containers for previously inaccessible areas.
Other successful applicants include Torfaen, which will receive £800,000 to implement improvements in collections and its depot facilities, and Blaenau Gwent, which will see £520,000 for a new depot storage area.
Methyr Tydfil (£120,000), Powys (£500,000), Swansea (£60,000) and Conwy (£200,000) have also received funding for depot extensions, baling equipment, HWRC improvements, and a new reuse centre respectively.
Conwy
Announcing the funding on a visit to Conwy’s Gofer Recycling Centre yesterday, Mrs Griffiths said: “Wales already has the highest municipal recycling rate in the UK and would be in the top four in Europe if it were separately reported. The £5.75million that I am announcing will help Local Authorities to make even further improvements to their recycling services.
“Our aim is for Wales to have the highest national municipal recycling rate in the world with the ultimate ambition of achieving a ‘carbon neutral Wales by 2020’. This funding will help us ensure further progress is maintained to help us meet these targets.”
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