Recyclable waste burned ‘as temporary measure’
AS the coronavirus outbreak continues across the UK, Cardiff council has begun burning the city’s recyclable waste.
Once a week, the council now collects all types of waste, with the exception of garden refuse, and empties it into the same general waste collection truck.
It’s then taken to Trident Park Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in Cardiff where it’s burned, rather than sorted and recycled.
Previously, Cardiff’s recyclable waste – including plastic, cardboard, paper, glass and metal – was taken to recycling centres at Lamby Way and Bessemer Close.
The council says using ERF is a temporary measure “to remove waste from the city’s streets as quickly and as safely as possible”, and that the facility does recycle a “proportion” of the waste, with two ash residues produced during the process.
Councillor Michael Michael, cabinet member for clean streets, environment and recycling at Cardiff council said: “It is important to emphasise that this is only a temporary measure implemented to ensure we can maintain a kerbside collection service across the city while supporting the health and welfare of the workforce and residents during the lockdown.”
He added: “We have to do this with reduced resources due to the Covid-19 outbreak and the extra help we are giving to the NHS.”
Garden waste is temporarily excluded from collection, as it causes “significant operational difficulties” for the plant’s operator, Viridor.
Instead, the council is asking residents to store garden waste in their garden until the pandemic is over.
Residents are also asked to put food and hygiene waste into black wheelie bins or, if you live in a red-striped bag area, to continue to use your brown food caddy for food waste.
For most other waste, the council is also asking households to continue following standard procedures.
They said this will prevent black wheelie bins from overflowing and keep homeowners in the habit of recycling.
The move comes just three months after the council introduced a new scheme, which saw those who repeatedly broke recycling rules threatened with a £100 fine or being sent to magistrates’ court for prosecution.