Monmouthshire County council is considering making changes to the way its residents recycle glass.
A 6 month pilot scheme is due to take place in September in some areas of the county, glass will no longer be placed in purple bags but separated out. It has not been determined what the glass will be collected in, ongoing research is being completed and a decision has yet to be confirmed. The pilot areas are also yet to be confirmed, Monmouthshire County Council waste and recycling officers will be engaging with to residents within identified pilot areas prior to changes taking place.
In the pilot areas glass will no longer be placed in purple bags but separated. Currently glass is placed in purple bags but there has been research that has informed officers that the majority of the glass coming out of recycling facilities is used in aggregate recycling rather than glass being turned back into glass and is therefore not as positive in terms of environmental outcomes. Waste and recycling officers have been researching recycling processes used in other authorities across the UK. Many options have been considered. Residents have also been involved in an online survey which looked at their preferred recycling options.
The changes will be raised at Cabinet in March. The 6 month pilot process and chosen areas will be also be recommended at the meeting. The changes will mean small changes to the way recycling is collected but is essential to trial our recommendations and if successful the changes could be rolled out across the county.
Cllr Bryan Jones Cabinet Member for County Operations said ‘the authority thanks all residents for their commitment to recycling, we are very proud of our recycling performance. We are constantly looking at ways to find the best service to fit all of our residents and maintain our excellent recycling rates. This change will hopefully make our recycling performance increase and help the environment.’
MCC
