Rhondda Cynon Taf Council taxpayers paying more for less on the 4th of June
‘MAINTAIN WEEKLY REFUSE COLLECTIONS’ Labour in Rhondda Cynon Taf already has a strong track record of investment to improve our environment. A Labour controlled Council will protect and maintain weekly refuse collections and will not following the example of neighbouring Plaid Cymru & Lib Dem controlled Councils who have adopted fortnightly collection of waste.
Weekly Black Bag Collections Unlike opposition controlled Councils, a Labour controlled RCT will commit to continue weekly black bag collections alongside its recycling measures.
Zero Charges for Bulky Collections If re-elected Labour will continue its policy of maintaining zero charges for bulky collections.
Above is what labour run Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said they would do before the 2012 election.
Below is what is happening next month
A new CLEAR searchable A-Z recycling guide has been launched to further help residents prepare for the new rules that begin next month (4th June).
As part of the, "The Choice is Clear – Everyone needs to recycle"campaign, a new recycling search function has been created, which looks to give a CLEAR guide to residents on what can and can't be recycled in Rhondda Cynon Taf and whether they can be collected from the kerbside or taken to a community recycling centre.
The new search tool can be found on key recycling pages at www.rctcbc.gov.uk/recycling – from sofas to bottle tops, the new search tool aims to help you recycle as much as possible.
From 4th June new rules will come in to force across Rhondda Cynon Taf that will help increase recycling rates, by encouraging those that don't currently recycle to do so. The rules will see the black bag allowance decrease from 4 standard bags to 2 standard black bags, or a wheelie bin, with no side waste and bin lids closed.
It is estimated that 3 out of 4 residents are already doing a great job at recycling and the new rules are unlikely to affect them as on average 80% of household waste is recyclable. Those who don't recycle are being urged to support a greener future or face a potential £100 Fixed Penalty Notice.
There is no excuse not to recycle in Rhondda Cynon Taf with FREE, UNLIMITED weekly, dry, food waste and nappy recycling along with a number of community recycling centres across the County Borough which are open 7 days a week from 8am – 7.30pm (March-October).
Since 15th April the Council has been helping residents prepare for the changes via a 50 day countdown on its Social Media channels, which lists hints, tips and facts about recycling in the County Borough – Over 77,000 tonnes of waste was recycled in Rhondda Cynon Taf during 2016/17, which is equivalent to 19,250 recycling vehicles full of milk bottles, yogurt pots, newspapers and lots of everyday household items from residents homes.
The new CLEAR A-Z recycling search tool is now live and already includes hundreds of items, but we may not have thought of your item or we may have ‘put it differently’ so please suggest it and we’ll find out how you can recycle it and get back to you and add it to the list for the benefit of fellow recyclers.
The current list has been based on raw recycling materials, so we suggest you keep your initial searches simple, no brand names please e.g. plastic/glass bottle for coke bottle, glass jar for jam jar, can for diet coke can, tin for heinz beans. As the list grows, with your help, you will be able to discover all the weird and wonderful things you can recycle in Rhondda Cynon Taf. The list will be updated daily so keep checking what the latest recyclable items are.
Councillor Ann Crimmings, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Leisure, said: “The new CLEAR A-Z recycling search tool aims to give residents a comprehensive guide of what you can and can't recycle in our County Borough. The list will expand over time as more items are added. It is anticipated this will prove to be a very useful tool in helping us hit the Welsh Government recycling targets for 2024/25 target of 70%.
“We have made fantastic progress recently to maintain our record-high recycling rate of 64%. However, making that next significant step to 70%, and maintaining that level, requires a new focus. The Council has a clear choice to make from the two options in front of us – recycle more and help the environment, or face substantial fines.
“The new rules provide a clear choice – everyone needs to recycle to support a greener future for Rhondda Cynon Taf. We estimate that 75% of residents already recycle and that is why the new rules and awareness raising activity are targeted at those who do not.
“Council officers will visit households not recycling to speak to residents, raise awareness and offer advice and, if required, issue warnings before a fine is considered as a last resort. We would much rather see more people recycling than issue fines.”
Recycling in Rhondda Cynon Taf is currently at an all-time high, with 64% of overall waste recycled in 2016/17. The new rules, which come into effect from June 4th, aim to build on this and increase recycling figures even further to meet the Welsh Government target of 70% by 2024/25 by limiting the amount of black bag/bin waste residents can throw away.
Under the new rules –
- No side waste will be collected from households with fortnightly bin collections. All black bag waste needs to be contained within wheelie bins and the bin’s lid must shut.
- A ‘two black bag limit’ for fortnightly household collections without a bin. This would reduce from four bags currently.
- A Fixed Penalty Notice could be issued to residents who continually fail to recycle. This would be a last resort for the Council, following awareness-raising exercises and notices issued by enforcement officers.
There will be various exceptions to the new rules, including that they will be rescinded over the busy Christmas and New Year period. Large families and households disposing of ash which cannot be recycled may also be exempt. Weekly recycling collections will continue and the number of recycling bags per household will remain unlimited.
For more information on the new rules follow us on facebook and twitter or visit www.rctcbc.gov.uk/recycling.
