More lorries on way after recycling concerns
CARDIFF council said it expects to have more specialised recycling lorries by next year after more people expressed their anger over separated recycling being mixed into the same vehicles.
More pictures have emerged of the practice taking place since the council said in April that it was having issues with some of its recycling lorries and it was in the process of buying more vehicles with separate compartments.
Residents in parts of the city where the council’s new separated recycling scheme has been rolled out called what was taking place at the time “demoralising” and “frustrating”.
The council has again reassured residents that what is being pictured does not have a material impact on the recycling being collected.
A Cardiff council spokesman said: “To collect the ‘sack sort’ recyclables new waste vehicles are being used which have two separate chambers at the back of the vehicle.
“The recycling from the blue sack goes into one side of the vehicle and the recycling from the red sack goes into the other.
“A separate vehicle is being used to collect the glass jars and bottles.
“There have been times when general waste vehicles have been used to collect these streams together.
“This happens when there have been issues with new vehicles – for example breakdowns.
“However, we want to assure residents this does not have a material impact on the recycling collected and the reason for this is twofold:
“One: Residents have already ensured that the recyclables being collected are of a high quality and the material collected in sacks/bottle bins is not being mixed with green bag recyclables.
“Two: They are being brought back to the council’s Materials Recycling Facility at Lamby Way, which separates the material by size and weight, delivering the same quality recyclables as those which would have been collected in the twinchambered vehicles.
“The council is in the process of buying more of these vehicles as the rollout goes on.”
Cardiff council’s separated recycling scheme was piloted across 10,000 households in wards across the city in 2022 and 2023 and it was later rolled out to 37,000 properties from February 2024.
The scheme involves residents separating their recyclables three ways.
There is a blue caddy for glass, a blue sack for paper and cardboard, and a red sack for metals, foil, plastics, and tetra packs. In total 47,000 properties across
Cardiff use the new separated recycling scheme and plans are now in place to roll it out to a further 80,000plus homes this year.
When we asked Cardiff council when it will complete its purchase of new recycling vehicles a spokesman for the local authority said: “We expect to have our full fleet of split-back vehicles by early 2025.”
Cardiff council’s cabinet members gave the go-ahead for a phased purchasing of a new recycling collection fleet in July 2023.
The phased purchasing, which will cost about £9.7m, was estimated to be something that would take place over three years when the plan was approved.
The council is in the process of buying more of these [new specialised recycling] vehicles as the rollout goes on
Cardiff council spokesman