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A Fascinating look into Recycling in Powys

On 20th May, Ashley Collins, PCC Waste and Recycling Manager gave a presentation to the PACE meeting via zoom, covering various issues related to the managing waste and recycling. The recording can be found here on You Tube and is well worth watching.

https://youtu.be/8-JuTHqUYRs?si=FcPNJGPjW8d0R3bO

Ashley started by describing the Powys Sustainable Resources Strategy, covering issues such as how we are performing relative to the new Welsh Government targets which are now for 70% of domestic waste to be recycled, plus the targets we now have for re-use and what is happening at the HRCs to encourage this. Note that what used to be called Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) are now called Household Recycling Centres (HRCs).

Ashley then went on to discuss various topical issues, such as the booking system and charging for DIY waste at the HRCs, the justification for these and what is happening in other local authorities. Ashley addressed questions from the audience on these topics.

Ashley then went on to talk about Workplace recycling. Current legislation now requires all businesses to separate recyclable waste from residual waste, and this also applies to community events such as village shows and street fairs.

The presentation covered trials that the council has been involved with to test out a deposit return scheme in Brecon and the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). EPR is due to be come live in the UK in 2026, and will require producers to provide funding to facilitate the collection and recycling of packaging that is included in their products. These charges will relate to how easy or hard it is to recycling, so will deter use of materials that are hard to recycle.

Follow this link to PCC website for further details on recycling.