Wales recycled almost half of its waste during the twelve months to the end of March 2012 according to the latest quarterly figures, released today (28 June).
The provisional figures show that local authority municipal waste prepared for reuse, recycled or composted in Wales between March 2011 and March 2012 increased by four per cent on the previous year’s figures, to 48 per cent.
The figures also show that recycling rose five percent between January and March 2012 compared to the same quarter last year, putting Wales on track to reach its 2012/13 statutory target of 52 per cent.
Welsh Environment Minister John Griffiths announced the figures today, saying: “I am delighted that the people of Wales are managing their waste in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. I congratulate local authorities across Wales for their important role in achieving this impressive result… I am very hopeful that this summer will see us breaking the 50 per cent barrier.”
Griffiths credited Wales’s weekly food collection services as one contributor to the year-on increase, saying: “Separating out food waste not only diverts significant waste away from landfill, it also makes us far more aware of the food we are wasting, which can often result in reduced waste and lower food bills.” He added: “The key thing now is that we continue to build on our recycling success so that we can meet our challenging targets of 70 per cent recycling by 2025 and zero waste by 2050.”
Other findings in the quarterly results show that residual household waste in Wales has continued to fall, with every person in Wales reducing his or her bin content between January and March 2012 to an average of 56 kilogrammes (kg) a drop of nine kg from the year before. Overall, the total amount of local authority municipal waste generated in Wales decreased by seven per cent to 351 thousand tonnes.
The figures have been commended by Mal Williams, CEO of Cylch: "The Welsh should be proud of these figures that show that we are well on the way to becoming a Waste-less society. The figures vindicate the Assembly Government’s commitment to the aspiration of Zero Waste and Sustainability. We are a small nation with much to be proud of."
Final figures for 2012 will be published at the end of the year. The provisional quarterly figures can be found on the Welsh government website.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.