Separated recycling being introduced to 37,000 properties in Cardiff
A new method of recycling is being rolled out to tens of thousands of homes in Cardiff.
Separated recycling is being introduced to 37,000 properties across the city, with the council carrying out targeted communications to the areas affected.
Ely, Gabalfa, Garngetown, Heath West, Llandaff, Pentwyn, Pentyrch, Rhiwbina, Splott and Trowbridge are the wards that will be changing to the new method.
A letter and leaflet has been sent by Cardiff Council to residents in the areas where the system is being rolled out to next week showing them what to do.
Blue caddy
Residents have been issued with a new blue caddy for glass bottles and jars; a red sack for metals, plastics and food and drink cartons; and a reusable blue sack for cardboard and paper.
The households affected in these areas have also been told that the contents of their red and blue sacks will be collected every week and the contents of blue caddies will be collected every two weeks.
Residents are also being asked to give food and drink cartons, like Tetra Pak, a rinse before putting them in the red sacks provided.
Some areas in the city have already sampled the co-mingled method of recycling.
Thousands of households in Danescourt, Llandaff, Radyr, Trowbridge and Pentwyn were all part of a segregated recycling trial that took place in 2022 and 2023.
The system is lauded by the council as an affective method that improves the quality of the recyclable product they receive.
Contamination
Cardiff Council also argue that there is less contamination – non-recyclable materials being mixed with recyclable materials – with the segregated system.
Some residents have been positive about the new scheme, but others think it will be difficult to get used to, especially for older residents.
One criticism aimed at the scheme is the potential for separated recycling bags to blow away, but the council said these have been weighted to prevent that from happening.
The recycling changes taking place across Cardiff from February 20 will not affect residents living in a block of flats with communal bin collections.
For more information on segregated recycling, visit the council’s website here.
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Could they make it more complicated? Probably not
Why don’t they accept frozen veg & bread plastic coverings which have to be recycled at large supermarkets but not at the councils re-cycling sites?
This is all well and good, and in general I am supportive of this system where items for recycling are sorted prior to collection, but it does raise the issue of where these caddies and sacks are to be stored in between collections. Many homes simply do not have sufficient or suitable storage facilities.
In my own situation, there isn’t really suitable storage for the current system where I have a black wheelie bin for general waste, but the green bag has to be kept in a corner of my kitchen, which is far from ideal.
One issue not thought about is storage space.
I know of many neighbours who live in tiny houses with very small kitchens/ no storage space. They also have no back lane access.
How are they supposed to store all the extra bins?