WIREDGOV

The latest report published by the Welsh Government on local authority municipal waste management shows that for the second successive quarter people have recycled almost half (49%) of their waste.

The statistics also report that residual household waste has continued to fall. During October – December every person in Wales produced 54 kilograms of waste, a drop of 5 kg per person from the October – December 2010. 

Environment Minister, John Griffiths, said:

“I am delighted that the people of Wales are continuing to manage their waste in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner and I congratulate local authorities in Wales for their pivotal part in this success. 

“Recycling 49% of our waste for the second successive quarter is particularly impressive as rates tend to drop during winter months. This shows that the rate of recycling in Wales continues to increase.

“One reason for our good progress is that every local authority in Wales offers weekly food collection services. 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.”

The Minister 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% recycling by 2025 and zero waste by 2050.

“I am very hopeful that continued effort in 2012 will see us achieving more than 50% recycling in the spring and summer months. This would mean we are diverting more than half our waste away from landfill and gaining value from the majority of our rubbish and really will be a significant milestone.”

“Not only does recycling divert rubbish away from landfill and reduce carbon emissions, it also saves on energy and ensures we are reusing precious resources that would otherwise rot in the ground.”

Related Links

Local Authority Municipal Waste Management, October-December 2011