As the row over Powys County Council’s refusal to take recycling boxes containing plastic bags or film, it has emerged today the council is ti receive £500,000 funding to improve recycling facilities at depots, including Newtown.
The county council has been awarded the money as part of a £5.75m Welsh Government investment to help improve recycling services across Wales announced by Lesley Griffiths, Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs on Tuesday (July 19).
Powys Cabinet Member for Recycling, Councillor John Powell said: “We are delighted to be awarded the money which will be invested in new recycling bulking and baling facilities at our depots.
“The council recently announced an increase in recycling rates with figures for May showing a 67 per cent recycling rate well above the statutory targets for this year. However, we cannot be complacent and need to do more to maintain theses rates and ensure we achieve an annual rate of 64 per cent.
“The funding announced by the Welsh Government is very much welcomed and will help us invest in new baling equipment which will reduce the amount of haulage required, increase the income we generate from material collected at the kerbside and help maintain recycling rates.”
Announcing the funding Lesley Griffiths said: “Wales already has the highest municipal recycling rate in the UK and would be in the top four in Europe if it were separately reported. The £5.75million that I am announcing will help Local Authorities to make even further improvements to their recycling services.
"Our aim is for Wales to have the highest national municipal recycling rate in the world with the ultimate ambition of achieving a ‘carbon neutral Wales by 2020’. This funding will help us ensure further progress is maintained to help us meet these targets.”
