Welsh recycling advice programme will run 'at least' until 2015/16

Wales’s Collaborative Change Programme will run ‘at least’ until the end of the 2015/16 financial year, the Welsh Government has announced.

The programme was first launched in 2011 to provide advice and support to help local authorities achieve the country’s statutory recycling targets.

It will now continue its work until ‘at least’ 2015/16, with £3.5 million of government funding this year, rising to £4 million a year from 2014/15.

Speaking of the programme, Minister for Natural Resources and Food Alun Davies said: "Welsh local authorities met an ambitious target last year, recycling 52 per cent of municipal waste. They will play a big role in achieving a 70 per cent recycling rate in Wales by 2025, and zero waste by 2050, the targets in our Towards Zero Waste strategy. These targets mean we are putting a clear focus on reuse, recycling and composting, as well as preventing waste in the first place.

"This funding will be used to invest in projects that improve recycling rates and the quality of material collected, as we move towards zero waste in Wales. I want to see councils sharing good ideas and good practice through the programme, so they can improve their performance and their efficiency."

Funding instead of fines

Last month, a total of £2.3 million of Collaborative Change funding was given to Powys County Council, Newport City Council, Bridgend County Borough Council, and Swansea City Council to help boost their recycling levels.

The money was allocated to the councils for a range of different uses, including the acquisition of more recycling facilities and boxes.

It followed on from the news that although three of the councils (Powys, Newport and Swansea) missed the country’s first statutory recycling target (of recycling 52 per cent of waste in 2012), they would have their punitive fines 'waived'.

Speaking at the time, Davies said: "I am very conscious of the challenges local authorities face, so this year I have made the decision to waive fines for those authorities that have not met the targets. I expect those councils that missed the target to participate fully in the Collaborative Change Programme and the Welsh Government will work constructively with councils to support their efforts.

"I appreciate that some of the councils that have not met their targets have nevertheless made really good progress. Powys, for example, has increased its recycling by nine percentage points on the previous year and it is this sort of progress that the Collaborative Change Programme can help councils to achieve."  

Read more about the Collaborative Change Programme or Wales’s recycling rates.