Caerphilly Council considers £70 fines to improve recycling
New proposals for 'improving recycling behaviour' would see the worst, most persistent offenders slapped with the same punishment as a parking fine.
The council said the typical household in Caerphilly produces 410kg of 'residual' – or non-recyclable – waste each year, compared with a national average 360kg.
And within those county borough bins, a study has found as much as 59 per cent of their contents could be recycled.
Caerphilly Council has struggled to lift its recycling performance from the bottom positions of a Wales-wide league table, and national figures show a recycling rate of 60.2% for the financial year 2023/24 was well short of Welsh Government targets.
This month, the government again increased the minimum recycling rate target for local authorities, from 64 per cent to 70 per cent.
In a new report, Caerphilly Council said 'public behaviour and participation in recycling services is key' to meeting its new strategy for improving those performances.
Poorly-sorted waste is one of the 'specific areas of concern' in the county borough, and the council is seeking to extend the use of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to tackle recyclables and food being thrown away in general refuse.
It plans an 'enhanced education and engagement process', including potentially hiring six more 'recycling advisory wardens', to help residents better understand what waste they should and shouldn't place in their bins.
Further powers will also let the council serve legal notices and, 'where deemed necessary, the issue of fixed penalty notices to persistent offenders relating to placing recyclable materials within the residual waste bins'.
Similar to parking tickets, fines would be cut from £70 to £35 if paid within 14 days.
The report suggests fines would be a last resort if prior visits, information letters, and legal notices fail to have the required effect on a resident's waste habits.
The council claims it can make 'significant' savings of £380,000 if even half of the county borough's food waste currently ending up in bins can be kept separate from general rubbish.
Recent efforts to improve Caerphilly's recycling performance include the launch of a new tool on the council's website.
Recycle Right allows residents to look up items and materials and check how they should be recycled or disposed of.
At the time of the launch, Cllr Chris Morgan, the cabinet member for waste, said: 'We are thrilled to launch Recycle Right, which will support our residents to make the best waste and recycling decisions.
'If all residents use this new simple tool, it would have a huge effect on our recycling rates and the environment. The first step is knowing where to put your waste and Recycle Right can tell you.'
Members of the council's environment committee are expected to discuss the proposals for new recycling fines at a meeting on Tuesday April 29.
Meanwhile, cabinet members will meet in private the following day to discuss the latest proposals to buy a site for a new waste depot, which the council hopes will also help increase its recycling rates.
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Article continues below Sam, 16, and Ioan, 17, say the 100%-coursework qualification piles on workload and stress at already pressured exam time. This means they don't have as much time for their other three A-levels, which could affect their grades. After reading their comments teenagers, parents, former students, and others responded to our story on Instagram with differing views. Some said the Welsh Bacc, as it's colloquially known, was valuable while others agreed with Sam and Ioan that it wasn't useful for them and shouldn't be compulsory.. The qualification holds Ucas points and is officially considered equal to an A-level. It is accepted by most universities but not for all courses such as some medical and other degrees. Lots of other teenagers agreed in the comments that the Welsh Bacc might be useful for some students but said it's unfair to make all pupils study for it. said: "It's a complete waste of time which could be better spent on subjects we actually chose to do." 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I don't know a single person who didn't tbh even the very top students that I knew who went on to Russel group unis thought it was a waste of time and tried to get out of it. Just stressful and unnecessary when the only thing you do is thing you would have done in other subjects anyway. Yes for some it was an easy A if you were good at coursework but it's hard to be passionate about such a tedious thing." And parent jockark reckoned it was too much work at already high-pressure exam time. "Welsh Bacc on top of 3 very demanding A levels has nearly tipped my child over the edge!! There's absolutely nothing Welsh or Wales across the course!!" Anther former student said it had been no help. "Did Welsh BACC and it had no benefit to my main subject I was studying in college, a complete waste of my time that could have been spent on studying for my main qualification that was actually gonna get me into uni," wrote brog_gram. 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They should ensure that they are providing opportunities that are in the best interests of their learners.' The Welsh Bacc post-16 explained In September 2023 the new Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales (level three) replaced the existing Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate qualification. The Welsh Government says on its website that the qualification aims to equip students with practical skills, personal development, and social awareness, making them "better prepared for higher education, vocational training, and the workforce". It's designed to be integrated with traditional academic studies and is often studied alongside A-levels or other vocational qualifications. "Welsh Bacc is a valuable qualification for post-16 students in Wales, designed to enhance skills and prepare them for future pathways. It's a composite qualification that includes a Skills Challenge Certificate and supporting academic achievements. The Advanced level is particularly relevant for those pursuing higher education with its Ucas points equivalent to an A-level." The Skills Challenge Certificate is a key part of the course and is assessed through four areas: an individual project, enterprise and employability challenge, global citizenship challenge, and community challenge. To achieve the Welsh Bacc learners must also meet specific requirements related to GCSEs in English or Welsh language, and mathematics or mathematics-numeracy. Article continues below
