Council facing £350,000 fine after failing to meet recycling targets

A north Wales council is facing a £350,000 fine for failing to meet its recycling target.

Isle of Anglesey County Councilwill now “explore” options to changesits waste and recycling collection services to meeti its statutory obligation and to avoid being hit with a six fgure fine.

An internal report stated that the council currently holds a recycling rate of 65%  but must meet a target of 70% set by the Welsh Government.

Among ideas mooted to improve the situation are reconfiguring the trolley box scheme and reducing black bin collections from three to four weekly.

A report  stated if it did not meet its target, the council  “could face a fine of around £350k per year.  This is money that could be spent on essential services”.

The details are in a waste collection and recycling consultation report.

It is due to be discussed by the council’s partnership and gegeneration scrutiny committee, at an extraordinary meeting, on Wednesday, December 10.

Ahead of any significant changes to any council services public views have to be sought.

Potential changes mooted in a draft consultation document could be:

• Adjusting the configuration of the trolley box to make it easier to recycle by collecting paper & cardboard together.
• Providing households with additional containers to store extra recycling.
• Reducing the weekly volume collected by emptying black bins every four weeks rather than every three.

The draft document stated: “We know that we can do better as recent data and research show that around 52% of the waste currently placed in black bins on Anglesey could be recycled.

“We also know that food waste recycling is relatively low compared to other local authorities, and that some households find storing excess cardboard problematic.

“Evidence from other councils in Wales has proven that giving households more opportunities to recycle, while reducing the amount of space available for general (‘black bag’) waste leads to higher recycling rates.

“The Welsh Government’s collection blueprint recommends that to maximise recycling households should have no more than the equivalent of one standard full black bag (60litres) or less per week.

“Most Anglesey households currently have a 240 litre black bin that is collected once every three weeks.

“To help meet national targets and avoid financial penalties, we want to make recycling easier and more convenient for residents. We are exploring potential changes”.

The committee’s report states a service change “may be highly emotive and the financial implications of introducing the potential changes, and indeed not introducing them, are considerable and beyond the financial delegation of officers.

“It is therefore imperative that the committee consider whether the council should consult, what is being consulted on, and the timing of the consultation”.

It was also noted that he council met most of its recommendations and had received support to increase recycling rates from WRAP Cymru.

“Their main recommendation was to reduce the weekly residual waste” which it says  “could be achieved by collecting residual waste less frequently and/or reducing the size of the bin,” the report said.

“WRAP Cymru estimate that this would increase the Council’s recycling rate by at least 5%”,

It added that modelling so far “favours” moving to a four weeks schedule over purchasing new, smaller bins “due to cost”.

The draft document notes,  if a consultation was held it would offer residents a chance to share their views and “an opportunity to ensure these are fully understood before any decisions are made”.

It was noted that no change are currently being considered over green garden waste or nappy collections.

The earliest any change to the collection service could start is 2029.