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Messages on black bags will spell out cost of not going green in Swansea (24.01.12)
South Wales Evening Post reports:
HOMEOWNERS across Swansea are getting cigarette pack-style warnings on their black bin bags.
From now on the free refuse sacks delivered by the council will feature information about the cost of not recycling.
Residents in the city are being advised that each tonne of waste in black bags costs £80 to dispose of.
John Hague, cabinet member for the environment in Swansea Council said: "When we dispose of household waste at landfill sites there is a considerable cost to the council.
"It's clear that a lot of household waste that could be recycled is still being put in black bags.
"So we need residents to help us to recycle more and save the council money."
Swansea Council hopes the message will encourage more residents to use alternative methods to dispose of household waste such as using the pink and green recycling sacks.
At present householders in the city help recycle just over 45 per cent of municipal waste.
All councils in Wales need to achieve a recycling rate of 52 percent by 2013, as set down by the Welsh Government.
Landfill space is also at a premium in Swansea and tougher landfill allowances in coming years will add further pressure to reduce the amount of waste taken to landfill.
Bin collections have switched to an alternate weekly collection system for residents and means black bags and plastic are collected every other week with collections of further recyclable materials on the other week.
Trish Flint, Swansea Council's recycling officer said: "Lots of residents are already recycling and the alternate weekly collection scheme has really helped boost the city's recycling rate.
"We need to do more and there are households who still don't recycle their rubbish.
"The new black bags are in the process of being delivered across Swansea.
"We made it as easy as possible for residents to recycle and some residents are telling us that because of the variety of kerbside collections, they are putting out as little as one black bag a fortnight."