Waste could be collected three-weekly

BLACK-BIN waste could be collected just once every three weeks in Pembrokeshire under changes being assessed by the council.

Councillors have taken the latest step towards bringing in changes across the authority in a bid to avoid huge Welsh Government fines.

Recommendations have been made to carry out three-weekly collections and would also limit the number of bags that individual households can put out.

The proposal also includes plans to introduce a weekly kerbside recycling service.

Councillors have been warned they have to recycle more waste to meet the huge targets.

“Staying still and refusing to adapt is not an option,” the report says.

In the first quarter of 2017-18 recycling was provisionally recorded in the authority at 59.63% compared to a figure of 66.95% for the same period last year and 65.42% for the year as a whole.

The targets go up to 64% of waste in 2020 and 70% in 2024 or authorities face a £200-per-tonne fine.

“In the absence of any other developments, major changes to the way the service operates will be required to meet the targets of 64% in 2019-20 and 70% by 2024-25, with officials from Welsh Government already discussing the introduction of more challenging targets beyond this timescale,” the report warns.

It says there has been talk of a target of 80% by 2035.

Officers have warned that if recycling stays at 60% they would face a fine of more than £500,000.

“The local authority as a whole is under severe financial pressure and the imposition of financial penalties along the lines of those set out above would inevitably have a substantial negative impact on council services,” a report to councillors warns.

Five options for changes to bin collections were narrowed down earlier this year to two.

One was for all dry recyclable goods to be collected in one bag with separate containers for glass and food waste.

The other is for all items to be sorted by staff in a so-called kerbside collection weekly.

It was decided that despite “additional uncertainty and risk” the second option would be selected.

On top of that black-bag waste collection was also reviewed.

Conwy Council has begun threeweekly black-bag collections across its area and is trialling four-weekly residual collections to 20% of households.

If Pembrokeshire Council passes the decision by March 2018 they could get £2m from the Welsh Government towards buying new kerbside vehicles.