Problem
Isle of Anglesey County Council identified that performance at its two Recycling Centres (RCs) was lower than the 80% target outlined in the Collections Blueprint for Wales published in 2011. In 2012/13, the recycling rate for Penhesgyn RC was 66%, whilst Gwalchmai RC was 63%.
Residents were observed bringing in large quantities of black bags to the two RCs and discarding them in the waste skips for non-recyclable waste, rather than using separate recycling containers. An analysis of this residual ‘black bag’ waste showed that they contained a significant amount of recyclable material.
The Council was keen to identify innovative solutions to encourage better recycling by residents at the RCs.
Solution
Isle of Anglesey County Council identified sorting of black bags at RCs as a solution to this problem. They collaborated with neighbouring authorities, including Conwy County Borough Council and Wrexham County Borough Council, to assess best practice from their successful black bag sorting initiatives. Building on this, the Council introduced its own black bag sorting initiative at its Penhesgyn and Gwalchmai RCs in 2013.
The new initiative required residents to sort any black bag waste brought onto an RC site and separate the recyclable material from the remaining non-recyclable waste items. Site staff were on hand to greet residents, explain the sorting procedure, and educate them on the importance of separating their recyclable items. A sheltered space was specifically designed to enable residents to easily separate items into different recycling containers. Staff further ensured that material separation was done correctly and that no recyclable material ended up in the skips for non-recyclable waste.
Additionally, members of the public were also asked to produce proof of residence, such as a utility bill dated within the last three months, to gain access to the RC. This requirement led to a reduction in the misuse of sites by people living in other local authority areas.
Impact
The measures introduced by Isle of Anglesey County Council resulted in a significant improvement to recycling rates at their RCs.
- Increase in the capture of recyclable material: Penhesgyn RC‘s recycling rates increased from 66% in 2012/13 to 77% in 2013/14, and Gwalchmai RC’s recycling rate rose from 63% in 2012/13 to 71% in 2013/14.
- Decrease in residual waste: By 2023/24, the tonnage of non-recyclable waste at Penhesgyn RC had dropped by 65%. Gwalchmai RC also saw a significant reduction in residual waste, dropping by 45% by 2023/24. Supported by residency checks and the new booking system at one of the sites, the introduction of black bag sorting played a key role in increasing recycling at the RCs.
- Increase in items diverted to reuse: Recently implemented reuse drop-off areas now allow residents to donate items for reuse in the community, moving up the waste hierarchy.
- Increased community engagement in resource management, with the response from the public being largely positive, and more residents arriving at the RCs with their waste already sorted and ready to be recycled.
- Better-designed RCs, with specific sheltered public sorting areas now playing a vital role in increasing the amount of recyclable material recovered.
Isle of Anglesey County Council’s strategy has demonstrated that mandatory sorting of black bags can significantly boost recycling rates at RCs. Through increased engagement with residents, most visitors are now arriving with their waste already sorted, with the rest making excellent use of the covered public recycling sorting stations. Providing well-designed sorting areas has helped site flow, reduced queues, and made the entire process simple and efficient. This measure puts the Council in a strong position to maximise diversion at RCs and provides a model for other authorities to follow.