Carmarthenshire’s recycling figures are on the up, thanks to changes to the Council’s kerbside waste collections that were implemented in January of this year, 2023.

Provisional figures calculated for the first quarter of 2023/2024 projected that 73% of the waste Carmarthenshire County Council collected was reused, recycled or composted - an 8.46% increase from last year.

The progress in Carmarthenshire’s recycling performance was reported on during a waste strategy update for the Council’s Place, Sustainability & Climate Change Scrutiny Committee on October 3.

During the Scrutiny Committee, Councillors were informed that compared with the first quarter of 2022/2023, an additional 199 tonnes of nappy waste, 250 tonnes of blue bags - dry recycling, 175 food waste tonnes and 446 tonnes of mixed glass were collected for recycling.

The figures are due to be ratified by Natural Resources Wales later this year.

The significant improvement in the Council’s recycling figures is attributed to the introduction of hygiene waste collections - that include children’s nappies, weekly collection of dry mixed recycling and food waste, the introduction of a three weekly glass bottles and jars collection and three weekly black bag collections.

This implementation of a new kerbside waste collection system is in line with the Council’s Cabinet Vision Statement to utilise a phased approach for the implementation of a new kerbside waste collection system in 2024/25, that is compliant with Welsh Governments’ Blueprint collection methodology.

Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services, Cllr. Edward Thomas said: “I am delighted to see the significant improvement in our county’s effort to recycle, reuse or compost our waste.

“This is a step in the right direction to improve the well-being of Carmarthenshire, its residents and its future generations.

“I am grateful to all our residents for coming with us on this journey to improve Carmarthenshire’s recycling performance.”

For further information about the changes to waste and recycling collection or if you wish to sign up for our free hygiene and nappy waste collections, please visit the Council’s website.

Please remember to place your waste out for collection before 6 am on your collection days.