Neath Port Talbot Council is to roll out a new recycling service from the end of this month in a bid to improve recycling rates across the borough, it has been announced.

Over the coming weeks, the council will deliver equipment to 20,000 homes in parts of Baglan, Margam, Brynoch, Cimla, Pontardwe and Ystalyfera as part of the new system, to be known as Recycle+.

Recycling changes

Currently, residents use a green box to recycle metal and glass; recycling bags for each of the following streams: plastics, paper, cardboard, textiles, and garden waste; a caddy for food waste; and a wheelie bin or black bin bags for residual waste.

All recyclables are collected on a weekly basis excepting plastic, which is collect every other week. Residual waste is collected on a fortnightly basis.

Under Recycle+, all recycling will be collected weekly, with the exception of garden waste, which will change to a collection every other week in line with refuse collections.

However, residents will need to use new collection receptacles, including:

• a white 180 litre reusable bag that will hold cardboard and cartons in one section, and plastic, cans and foil in the other;
• a black box with a lid for paper and textiles;
• a black box without a lid for mixed glass only; and
• a small white reusable bag for household batteries.

Food waste and garden waste will be collected in the same way as before.

The switch to the new service includes the rollout of six specialist-recycling vehicles; the trucks allow a range of materials to be collected in a single vehicle including plastics, aluminium and steel cans, glass, paper, food, cardboard textiles and batteries.

Why the changes?

With the Welsh Government setting increasingly stringent targets for councils to meet, Recycle+ is designed to help Neath Port Talbot meet those demands.

Fifty-eight per cent of waste must be recycled by 2016 and a rate of 64 per cent must be achieved by 2019/20 otherwise fines will be levied.

Deputy leader of the council, councillor Peter Rees said: “The benefits of increasing recycling in Neath Port Talbot are significant for both our environment and for our taxpayers and this vital new service provides our residents with even more opportunity to recycle.

“We hope that having our new recycling team available to the public at these roadshows will help to clarify anything that our residents may be unsure of with our new Recycle+ service."

Recycling roadshows

A team of recycling experts will be taking to the streets to introduce Recycle+ and explain the new system to residents.

A leaflet demonstrating the changes and describing how to make use of the new service will be delivered with each new kit.

Roadshows are also to be held in each area offering residents an opportunity to learn more about the changes. Dates are below:

• Monday 21 July: BAGLAN – 5.30pm-7pm Baglan Community Church car park
• Tuesday 22 July: MARGAM VILLAGE – 5.30pm-7pm MUGA next to coed Hirwuan Primary School
• Wednesday 23 July: BRYNOCH – 5.30pm-6.45pm Brynoch Community Centre
• Thursday 24 July: CIMLA – 5.30pm-7pm Cimla Community Centre
• Friday 25 July: RHOS – 5.30pm-7pm Rhos Community Hall
• Monday 4 August: BAGLAN – 5.30pm-7pm Baglan Community Church car park
• Tuesday 5 August: SANDFIELDS – 5.30pm-7pm Sandfields Youth Centre/playing fields
• Wednesday 6 August: WAUNCEIRCH – 5.30pm-7pm Waunceirch Community Centre
• Thursday 7 August: CIMLA – 5.30pm-7pm Cimla Community Centre
• Friday 8 August: PONTARDWE – 5.30pm-7pm Pontardwe Fire Station
• Monday 11 August: MARGAM – 5.30pm-7pm Twelve Knights car park
• Tuesday 12 August: ABERAVON – 5.30pm-7pm Reel Cinema car park
• Wednesday 13 August: WAUNCEIRCH – 5.30pm-7pm Car park next to Wauceirch Community Centre
• Thursday 14 August: CIMLA – 5.30pm-7pm Cimla Community Centre
• Friday 15 August: YSTALYFERA – 5.30pm-7pm Car park, Asda Ystalyfera

More information about Recycle+ can be found on the council’s website.