Funded by the Welsh Assembly, researchers from AEA Technology, MEL Research, Waste Research and WRC studied 174 tonnes of waste collected from nine of the 22 Welsh councils at four times during the year.
””These figures show the potential for increasing recycling and composting in Wales.“
– Carwen Jones, Welsh Assembly environment minister
The study found that for the average Welsh household, 36% of waste is dry recyclables with a further 28% compostable and 5% construction and demolition waste, which can be recycled.
An average of 17kg of waste is generated each week by Welsh households, including:
- 1.6kg of newspapers and magazines
- 3.9kg of other paper and cardboard
- 4.3kg of kitchen waste
- 2.9kg of glass, metals and dense plastics
Analysing waste from three urban authorities, three rural authorities and three valley authorities, the study found no evidence of variations in waste between the types of authorities.
Commenting on the findings, Welsh Assembly environment minister Carwen Jones said the figures would be important for local authorities to identify key waste streams when planning future recycling schemes. Welsh councils have been allocated 79 million by the Assembly to fund the Wales Waste Strategy, which aims to recycle 40% of municipal waste by 2010.
Potential
Mr Jones said: “These figures show the potential for increasing recycling and composting in Wales. We are already seeing the progress of local authorities to meet the target of 15% recycling and composting by March 2004. This is an important milestone in meeting the more demanding targets of 25% recycling and composting by 2006/7, and 40% by 2009/10.
“Achieving these targets is essential if Wales is to meet the requirements of the Landfill Directive to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste that is landfilled.”
The Welsh Assembly minister also highlighted the importance of the information on trade waste that the study collated along with data on materials taken to household waste recycling centres:
Composition (% by weight) of
municipal solid waste in Wales
household waste |
taken to CA sites |
waste |
|
| Paper and card | 25 | 8 | 41 |
| Plastic | 11 | 3 | 10 |
| Textiles | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Other combustibles | 8 | 29 | 7 |
| Non combustibles | 3 | 20 | 1 |
| Glass | 7 | 2 | 4 |
| Organics | 36 | 19 | 28 |
| Metal | 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Electrical items | less than 1 | 7 | 1 |
| Hazardous items | less than 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Fines | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 100 | 100 | 100 |
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