FROM today (June 3), Denbighshire County Council is introducing changes to recycling and waste collections, including new containers and weekly collections for recyclable materials.
The new service, which involves the scrapping of the blue wheelie bin, is 55 per cent funded by Welsh Government.
Residents will now be required to separate their “dry” recycling using a three-tier “Trolibocs” service, which has been delivered to households since February.
There will also be free new weekly collection services for small electrical items, household batteries and textiles.
Some households that previously presented their recyclable materials in single-use sacks will now use reusable bags to present their separated recyclable waste.
In addition, there is a new weekly service to collect absorbent hygiene products (e.g. nappies and wipes, incontinence pads, and disposable bed pans and liners).
The new system takes effect from today (June 3) (Image: Denbighshire County Council)
Will bin collection days change in Denbighshire?
In some cases, yes. Residents on the new service will have received a letter outlining their collection dates, which set out:
- What their collection day is (some collection days may change).
- When their first recycling collection will be.
- When their first non-recyclable collection will be.
- When to put out the spare wheelie bin for collection.
For the residents whose first non-recyclable collection date falls beyond the first four-week period, arrangements have been put in place for a one-off additional collection.
If residents are still unsure, there is a link on the council’s website which, once the address is inputted, will provide the updated collection date.
If a resident doesn’t have their new container yet, they are advised to use the blue wheelie bin or single use sacks for recycling until they receive their new containers.
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Why is the new system being introduced?
The council has said it is introducing the new system to help it meet Welsh Government’s 70 per cent recycling target, set for all local authorities in Wales.
Several Welsh local authorities have already rolled out similar changes, and have seen an increase in the quantity and quality of recycling collected in those areas.
Tony Ward, the council’s corporate director of environment and economy, said: “Separating materials at source will improve the quality of recycling that we collect and will also mean more recyclable materials will remain within the UK and be recycled as new products.
“As well as helping to reach mandatory waste recycling targets set by the government, this new waste model will save the council up to half a million pounds per year.
“The council would like to thank residents for their co-operation during this transitionary period and appreciate their patience and understanding.”
Cllr Barry Mellor, lead member for environment and transport, said: “As materials will be separated in the new Trolibocs system, it will improve the quality of what we collect.
“That means more will stay in the UK to be recycled which reduces our carbon emissions and helps prevent climate change. It will also be a more cost-effective service in the long-term.
“The new system allows residents to recycle more, so we will be collecting more frequently.
“You’ll have less non-recyclable waste for collection, so that will be collected every four weeks. Those with reusable bags will have a weekly collection.”
What has been said in opposition to the new system?
In March, the decision to scrap the blue wheelie bin was labelled an “absolute disaster and a squandering of money” by a former county councillor.
Dewi Owens MBE served as a city councillor for St Asaph for more than two decades, and as a county councillor from 2004 to 2017.
Mr Owens said he fears that the new system will lead to “an enormous amount of rubbish all over the roads”, and disagrees with the council’s suggestion that it will provide better value for money.
Similarly, James Davies, Vale of Clwyd MP until Parliament was dissolved last week, said in February: “The reason given for the change has been the need to increase recycling rates, yet the 2022-23 statistics demonstrate that Denbighshire is currently achieving an impressive 65.9 per cent recycling rate.
“It is already performing above average for Wales, and second-best out of the six councils in North Wales.
“Importantly, it does better than some councils which already have the model it intends to implement.
“The actual reason for the change has always been about saving money, and receiving millions in the process for setup costs from Welsh Government.
“I consider the council's decision to ignore opposition and plough ahead regardless to be one of the worst decisions it has ever made, and to be unforgivable in the context of this year's 9.34 per cent council tax increase.”
What has the council said in response to these criticisms?
Following Dr Davies’ comments, Cllr Mellor highlighted the three main benefits which it believes its new waste service will provide:
- It is better for the environment because it will increase recycling rates and the quality of recyclable materials to enable them to be made into new products.
- It will be cheaper to run than the current service, and so provides better value for money to Denbighshire residents.
- It will lead to the creation of 27 new jobs, and the expansion of four businesses on the Colomendy Industrial Estate in Denbigh to build its new waste depot.
Cllr Mellor added: “Even with the additional collections and the increased number of staff, the new service will be cheaper to run than the existing model, and more importantly it will be better for the environment.”
In response to Mr Owens’ comments, Denbighshire County Council said the new model will be “significantly cheaper” than the current scheme, saving roughly £450,000 annually.
A council spokesperson said: “The new service ensures that there will be an increase in the recycling rate for the county as a whole.
“The new waste model went through a public consultation and the decision to introduce it was made by cabinet in December 2018.”
Cllr Martyn Hogg, who represents the Wales Green Party on the council’s St Asaph East ward, also backed the plans, which he considers “a much better system in all aspects”.
Regarding the suggestion that the new system could increase the amount of rubbish left on the roads, Cllr Hogg said: “It’s not a problem in Conwy, who have used the new system for 13 years, or any of the other counties in Wales who do kerbside sorting of recycling.
“It is a much better system in all aspects. We used to have to pay somewhere in the region of £30 per ton to send mixed recycling from blue bins to a sorting facility in Shotton.
“It has been a success in many other councils across Wales, so why would it be a disaster in Denbighshire?”
