Councillors sceptical over monthly bin collections as consultation on draft new waste and recycling strartegy is agreed

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Cabinet this week senior councillors received the new draft five year plan to deal with waste and recycling up to 2030, that council staff have called the “sustainable resource strategy.”

This strategy will be put out to a three-month public engagement process early next year which will allow residents to have their say on how waste and recycling will be run in the county.

It is also a document that could help the council put together future business cases for Welsh Government funding to make sure that it’s facilities are “up to spec” for the future and able to handle more recycling.

The council is set to miss the 70 per cent Welsh Government recycling target which could see them fined up to £100,000.

The presentation to councillors included an analysis of black bin waste from 2022.

This showed that 45 per cent of the waste residents put into the black bin could be recycled and the much of the strategy is based on getting residents to put that waste into recycling.

If that happened, council chiefs believe they would break through the 70 per cent barrier.

Deputy council leader Labour’s Councillor Matthew Dorrance: “This is where the effort needs to be as what we are not doing isn’t effective.

“What does that mean in terms of the frequency of residual (black bin) waste collections?”

Senior waste and recycling manager Ashley Collins said:  “We haven’t failed we still have a bit to go.

“The three weekly collections made a big difference and restricting residual waste is one of the key ways of doing it.

“Reducing capacity is in the strategy which I’m sure will get a lot of input when we do the engagement process.”

He explained that the analysis showed that nearly half of the rubbish put into black bins could be recycled and: “doesn’t need to be there.”

Mr Collins said: “There is that opportunity to further restrict the residual while providing a really good recycling service.

“All the people who are good at recycling are doing it, it’s getting to those other people who may be busy or lazy and find out what those barriers to recycling are.”

Cllr Dorrance said: “I’m not sure that a reduction in the frequency of collection is going to deliver what you are seeking.

“I’m prepared to support this report for it to go to consultation and listen to what people have to say.

“But I don’t agree with your assessment.

“I don’t think reducing the frequency of collection is a silver bullet on this.

“I don’t think people are lazy, this is more complicated, and people have really busy times and stress.

“We need to step up to the challenge rather than blaming the people of Powys.”

Cabinet member for future generations, Labour’s Cllr Sandra Davies believed that moving to “four weekly collections” would be a huge problem for families who use nappies and incontinence pads and also those with dogs.

Cllr Davies said: “With climate change and warmer weather if we had that type of waste in bins (for four weeks) neighbours would start complaining.”

Council leader, Liberal Democrat, Cllr James Gibson-Watt said: “It will be interesting to see what the results of the consultation will be.”

Cabinet unanimously voted to start the discussion with Powys residents which is expected to start on January 10.

Following comments from the public an updated draft strategy would be put in front of senior councillors for a decision sometime 2025.