Wales recycled or composted 45 per cent of its municipal waste between July and September 2010. The statistical release Municipal Waste Management, July – September 2010 shows that the municipal recycling rate in Wales increased by 4 percentage points on the same period in 2009.
Anglesey and Denbighshire had the highest recycling rate, at 57 per cent. Bridgend, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire and Wrexham also recycled or composted at least half their waste.
Bridgend increased its recycling rate by the largest amount. In July – September 2009 it recycled a third of its waste (33 per cent); a year later it recycled more than half (51 per cent).
The amount of municipal waste Wales produced decreased from 432,000 thousand tonnes in July – September 2009 to 409,000 thousand tonnes in July – September 2010. The amount of household waste produced per person decreased from 77 kg to 68 kg.
These figures continue the upward trend in recycling in Wales over the past decade. While recycling and composting are traditionally higher during the summer months and decrease in the winter, 45 per cent is the highest quarterly Welsh recycling rate to date.
Environment Minister Jane Davidson said:
“Of course what really count are the annual figures which track our performance throughout the year, but I believe that today’s news is more proof that Wales leads the way in what to do with our waste. I want to thank all our councils for their excellent work, and encourage them to continue working closely together so that they can all feel the economic, social and environmental benefits of high recycling.
“If we are to reach our goals of recycling 70 per cent of our waste by 2025 and being zero waste by 2050 we cannot afford to lose momentum. We need to continue developing the sort of services – such as weekly food waste collections – that will give us the best chance of reaching this ambition, and every council, every community, every business and every home needs to play its part in delivering the high recycling Wales deserves.”
Wales is the first country in the UK to adopt statutory recycling targets for municipal waste. The Waste (Wales) Measure – which introduces statutory targets – received Royal Approval in December 2010. The first statutory target will be 52 per cent for 2012 – 2013, rising gradually to 70 per cent by 2025.
Wales is also:
- The only country in the UK where every local authority offers a separate food or food/green waste collection
- The first to introduce the Landfill Allowances scheme. Every local authority in Wales has met every target since
- The first to introduce carrier bag charges, in October 2011
- The first to set out exactly what we will do to reach 70 per cent recycling by 2025
