A recycling pilot scheme run by Cardiff Council was slammed as “bloody ridiculous” after its first day of collections in Llanedeyrn.
The scheme splits recycling that would usually be put into one green bag into three separate containers.
Residents will be given a reusable blue sack for paper and card, a reusable red sack for metals and plastic and a blue caddy for bottles and jars.
The trial is taking place across 4,000 properties in Radyr, Llandaff, Pentwyn and Trowbridge.
Resident, Stephen Sullivan, said: “I haven’t really got the room at the rear of the property to be keeping this stuff. And what concerns me, especially with food waste, I don’t want a rat problem up here again.
“I’ve had enough of it over the years. So basically the larger bins seemed to be the way out of it where it was all stored.
“So we’ll end up going to the tip ourselves and it’ll end up in landfill anyway. Because we’ve got to dispose of it somehow. So it’s a question of trying to get it right. But as you can see, you get it right and they don’t take it.”
Currently, only 58% of Cardiff’s waste is recycled or composted.
Cardiff Council says: “The scheme is part of a review of waste collections in Wales’ capital designed to hit Welsh Government recycling targets by 2025 and to make Cardiff one of the greenest and cleanest cities in the UK.”
Councillor Michael Michael, Cabinet Member for Clean Streets, Environment and Recycling, said: “The new pilot scheme, using the three-stream collection method, will allow us to look at whether a different type of collection system can increase our recycling rate and reduce the amount of contaminated waste which is currently put out for recycling.”
However, locals shared their views on the Pentwyn and Llanedeyrn news Facebook page.
Silvia Johnson said “I just saw (the) bin lorry putting all blue bins, red bag and blue bag into the same bin lorry.
“What is the point of us even trialling this when council can’t be bothered to do their part.”
Helen Fraser joked “Just absolutely broken myself transferring from my new kitchen storage boxes (which I had to buy) to the 2 bags and the glass bin.”
Some residents said they’ve not received any of the new recycling containers yet.
Rachel Willington-Thomas said “I have not received my new blue and red recycling sacks and we are part of the trial… can I put green bags out? I am a household of 4 and have a large amount of recycling each week. I don’t want to have to keep it as I’ll have double next week and will forever be playing catch up!”
Suzanne Crawshaw says the new scheme is “bloody ridiculous.. paying through the roof on council tax bills & we’re practically doing their job for them!!”
The Council wants to see how the new system could work if scaled up across Cardiff.
Cllr Joe Carter for Pentwyn and Llanedeyrn, says: “We’ve got some real concerns about this new system. The idea of separating our waste out makes sense.
“And in a community like mine, which has lots of woodland area around it, we’re worried that we might see more fly-tipping and people disposing their waste that way. Rather than in the sacks available.
“The feedback is generally negative.
“People have said they’re not going to use it. Oddly, we haven’t got a choice that the green bag has been taken away from us. We have to use it.
“I’ve had some people say the sacksthey’ve got are too big. And, some people say they’re too small.
“Everyone who has made contact has raised concerns about the idea of them getting wet, and what that’s going to do for it. And everyone’s worried about storage.”