Carol Vorderman urges Welsh public to recycle one more banana skin at Caernarfon food maths lesson

Carol Vorderman recently launched the latest Be Mighty. Recycle campaign by Wales Recycles, to help Wales become world number one for recycling.

For Global Recycling Day (18 March 2026), the north Walian broadcaster urged Welsh households to play a crucial role in increasing food waste recycling by 5% to get to the number one nation in the world for recycling.

Whether at home, work or leisure – the equivalent of each person recycling just one more banana skin each week could get Wales to the top spot.

To bring the maths to life, Carol joined refuse and recycling workers on their food waste collection round in Caernarfon.

They stopped at the iconic Caernarfon Castle, where she delivered a “food waste maths lesson” to show how small actions can have a national impact.

Using a whiteboard on the side of the recycling lorry, Carol broke down the figures behind Wales’ drive to number one.

She translated national recycling data into simple, relatable sums — calculating how many additional banana skins, apple cores, and teabags are needed across Wales to close the 5% gap.

From there, she followed the journey of a banana skin from the food waste bin to an anaerobic digestion plant, where food waste is transformed into renewable energy to power Welsh homes and businesses.

In Wales, food waste is turned into renewable energy, and recycling just 32 banana peels could generate enough electricity to power a typical home for an hour.

Carol Vorderman said: “I’ve always believed that numbers tell a powerful story — and this one is brilliantly simple. When you do the maths, becoming number one in the world for recycling isn’t about huge changes.

“Small actions can create a national impact – all it takes is for each person to recycle just one more banana skin per week. Add that up across Wales, and it could make all the difference and get Wales to the title of the best recycling nation.”

Wales is now closer than ever to becoming world number one for recycling, with the proportion of households using their food waste recycling service rising from 80% in March 2024 to 86% in March 2025.

Recent results also show food waste collected from out of home locations by local authorities – such as workplaces, schools, attractions and events – has also increased significantly, rising by 54.8% (an additional 3,623 tonnes) between 2023-24 and 2024-25.

In Wales, every local authority provides a weekly food waste recycling service to households. Last year the food waste collected from homes generated enough energy to power around 15,000 homes annually.

Angela Spiteri of WRAP added: “This Global Recycling Day, we’re asking everyone to build on what Wales has already achieved and work together to show the world that Wales can lead the way.

“Small actions really do add up. Every piece of inedible food waste, from banana peels to tea bags and eggshells can go into the food waste bin every time; whether you’re at home, at work or visiting Wales’ attractions.”

The Be Mighty. Recycle campaign is also urging individuals to make the most of food bought every week.

Around a quarter of the average rubbish bin in Wales is made up of food, and most of this could have been eaten – costing the average household of four around £84 every month.

Angela Spiteri continued: “By using up what we can – adding leftover vegetables to meals like soups, curries or stir-fries, we can save money and waste less food. Whatever truly can’t be eaten, should always be recycled.”

Recycling has become easier beyond the home thanks to the workplace recycling law introduced in 2024, enabling people across Wales to recycle in many out-of-home locations – including at workplaces, universities, leisure facilities and attractions.

As a result, local authorities have collected an extra 8,187 tonnes of recyclable material a 42% increase across the material streams in just one year.

The campaign is a drive to get more people to reduce their food waste and recycle all food which can’t be eaten, led by Wales Recycles’ Be Mighty. Recycle. campaign and funded by the Welsh Government.

For more information, visit www.walesrecycles.org.uk/be-mighty-recycle.