Extra bags plan for big households
IT’S now time for the public to have their say on Bridgend council’s proposals to exempt certain households from the controversial two black bag limit.
The authority has announced a second consultation into whether larger families and people with coal fires should be able to put out extra black bags every fortnight after the two bag limit comes into force next April.
The consultation has now been launched and residents can take part online or at their local library until October 10.
The following additional allowances are being considered:
An additional one black bag per fortnight for households with six or seven people, meaning they would have three black bags collected fortnightly.
An additional two bags per household with eight or more people, meaning they would have four bags collected fortnightly.
An additional one bag per fortnight – taking the total to three bags – for households that use coal fires as a main source of heating. This does not include log burners.
Many residents had also raised the issue of pet waste such as cat litter during the original public consultation.
But Bridgend council said although it had considered offering a dispensation, it would be prohibitively expensive.
A spokesman said: “The new recycling arrangements will apply to all households and are necessary if the county borough is to meet challenging Welsh Government recycling targets and avoid large fines for missing them.
“Following the announcement that a twobag fortnightly collection would be introduced along with weekly recycling from 1 April 2017, we promised to consult with residents about looking at dispensations.
“This is important as larger households and coal fire users stand to generate the most black bag waste and we want the new system to be as fair as possible.
“Recent studies in Wales have revealed that almost half of all waste placed in black bags could have been recycled.
The spokesman added: “The new arrangements will take some time for us all to get used to, but they are in line with the Welsh Government’s overall objective of generating more recycling and less landfill waste.
“The waste contract is currently out to tender and details such as how the scheme will operate and what items can be recycled will be announced later this year.
“In the meantime, we want as many people as possible to take part in the consultation, either by going to www.bridgend. gov.uk/consultation or by visiting their local library.”
Details about alternative ways of responding are also available by contacting the council’s consultation team on 01656 643664.