Plans lodged for new £24 million waste depot aimed at boosting recycling rates

Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Reporter

A south Wales council has set out plans for a new waste depot, which it hopes holds the key to improving the county borough’s low recycling rates.

Caerphilly Council is borrowing £24 million to redevelop a site at Duffryn Business Park, in Ystrad Mynach, as a new municipal transfer station for recyclable waste.

Since 2024, the Welsh Government has required councils to recycle at least 70% of the waste they collect, but performance levels in Caerphilly have fallen short.

The council hopes the new depot will help it recycle more waste and avoid costly government fines, which could run into millions of pounds.

New plans show the council proposes demolishing the Kautex Textron building at the business park to make way for the waste depot.

Another building, used by packaging firm Delyn, will be refurbished to serve as a workshop for the council’s bin and recycling lorries if the plans are approved.

A car park will also be built on the site for staff – and it is estimated 337 people will work at the new depot once it opens.

Speaking in May, Cllr Chris Morgan, the local authority’s cabinet member for waste, said: “We are very excited to be moving into the next stages of our proposed development.

“If approved, it will enable us to process materials locally, improve efficiency and help us meet ambitious Welsh Government recycling targets, while delivering a modern, fit-for-purpose depot for our workforce.”

Previous council reports stated the site would cost around £4.6 million to buy, and another £24 million would be borrowed to cover the costs of the overall project, which will be part-funded by the Welsh Government and is expected to reach £54 million in total.

The depot forms part of Caerphilly Council’s new waste strategy, drawn up in response to looming government fines for poor recycling rates.

The council has already started a programme of ‘quick wins’ including providing free food bags to residents, and tougher enforcement powers to fine people who repeatedly fail to recycle properly.

Research from 2023 found 59% of what was in Caerphilly residents’ general waste bins was actually recyclable.

One-container system

Unlike some other Welsh councils, Caerphilly operates a one-container system for collecting residents’ recyclables, but has started looking at a kerbside separation policy in which different materials – such as cardboard and plastics – would be collected in separate containers.

The council has also consulted residents on potentially cutting collections of refuse – or non-recyclable waste – to every three or four weeks, but has not implemented those proposals to date.

The application for the new waste depot is currently out for consultation, and can be viewed on the Caerphilly County Borough Council website under reference 26/0358/FULL.