More than 36,000 properties across Cardiff will see changes to the way they get rid of their rubbish from 20 February with residents needing to separate recycling in a bid to improve rates.
Cardiff Council sent a leaflet to residents across Ely, Gabalfa, Grangetown, Heath West, Llandaff, Pentwyn, Pentyrch, Rhiwbina, Splott and Trowbridge which will all be affected by the new change.
The new system means that residents will be issued with sacks and a new caddy for different types of recycling to replace the standard recycling bags.
- A blue caddy for glass bottles and jars
- A red sack for metals, plastics and food and drink cartons
- A reusable blue sack for cardboard and paper
This method has already been trialled in 2022 and 2023 in other parts of the city, such as in Llandaff and Danescourt. Cardiff Council argued the system is an effective method which improves the quality of the recyclable waste they receive.
Households have been issued with a leaflet detailing how to separate the recycling, but one Llandaff resident said the new method was proving “long and complicated for pensioners” with people struggling to keep up:
Does one want to refer to a little booklet each time one’s putting stuff in the bin? Because that’s what it amounts to”
She also expressed her concerns that a specific caddy for glass would be heavy for older residents. Despite the extra time and effort that comes with separating waste, the resident said it will make people think about their recycling habits more rather than “throwing it all together”.
Those affected have also been told that the contents of their red and blue sacks will be collected every week, whereas blue caddies will be collected every two weeks. Residents are also being asked to rinse out the content of cartons before putting them into the red sacks.
The changes that come into place today will not affect those living in blocks of flats with communal bins.
The council has advised that waste should be put out for collection by 6am on the day of your collection, or no earlier than 4:30pm the day before your collection.
Households could face fines if they do not adhere to these rules.