Conwy set to introduce new materials into kerbside recycling

The council is developing a new bin and recycling strategy that will shape how the county manages its rubbish and recycling over the next five years.

The draft waste and resource strategy sets out a vision to increase recycling rates in the county.

A report is set to be considered by a scrutiny committee and Conwy ’s cabinet next week.

The draft report states that Conwy now meets the 70% statutory target for recycling, but the council is keen to increase this further, reducing rubbish going into black bin bags.

Currently residents are asked to separate cardboard, plastics, bottles and cans in the green recycling boxes.

But under the new plans, the council could place more emphasis on residents being responsible for recycling, with the report proposing that Conwy will look to “introduce new materials at the kerbside with a focus on flexible plastics by 2027”.

Typically, flexible plastics are light, but by including them in the kerbside collection, Conwy predicts, recycling rates could be increased by an additional 1%.

The report states the authority will be “reviewing residual capacity”, adding: “48% of the materials placed into the household non-recyclable wheeled bin can be recycled using current services.

“With effective recycling collections in place and our ambition to collect new materials from households, including flexible plastics, we want to ensure that any recycling is not simply discarded into the non-recyclable bin, which will help protect the environment, increase recycling, reduce disposal costs, and support income generation.”

Under these plans, the council could also review suitability of recycling containers to address capacity issues and “look for sustainable outlets for absorbent hygiene products”, such as nappies, recycling as separately collected waste.

The council will also invest in a fleet of electric collection vehicles.

The report states: “There are currently seven electric Resource Recovery Vehicles (RRVs) in service out of a recycling collection fleet of 20, with a further nine electric vehicles on order.

“The rest of the fleet has an average of over six years before they need to be replaced.

“Therefore, replacement as well as additional vehicles are necessary to establish greater resilience.”

The council says the strategy will also play a key role in supporting funding bids for vital infrastructure, including waste transfer and treatment facilities.

The report is set to be discussed next week.