Blaenau Gwent council needs to focus on getting its residents to recycle more of the waste they currently put in the black bin a senior councillor has said.

This would help Blaenau Gwent dodge a a fine for nearly £250,000 for not hitting the Welsh Government’s 70 per cent recycling target that comes into force this year.

At a meeting of the county borough council’s place scrutiny committee held today, councillors received a report on the annual waste and recycling performance figure for last year.

The report shows that the council’s annual recycling rate has dropped from 66.78 per cent in 2022/2023 to 66.18 per cent for 2023/2024 which is above the current government target of 64 per cent but falls short of the new target.

The report says that if the council recycling rate stays as it is, they would be slapped with a fine worth £243,712 fine.

The report goes on to explain that in 2022 the council analysed black bin waste and found that 51 per cent of the waste could be recycled and 23 per cent was food waste.

If these recyclable materials including paper, card, plastic, clothing, glass, steel, and aluminium were placed in the recycling bins at the kerbside they would be worth £246,000 a year.

Opposition Independent group leader, Cllr Wayne Hodgins said: “The stuff that could be recycled that’s going into the black waste bin is costing us £246,000 per annum and the fine could be £243,000.

“I think the focus needs to be on getting the non-recyclable stuff out of the black bin.”

He added that some people would say they have put recyclable waste in the black bin due to problems with collections or as they have not received new or extra recycling boxes and food caddies.

Waste and recycling team manager, Lisa Jones said: “We were quite disappointed when we had this data which shows that 50 per cent of things that residents are throwing away could be recycled.

“Yes, it could be because we are failing them in certain areas – that really does concern us and that is what we need to be capturing and quite a lot could in our kerbside recycling.

Neighbourhood services manager, Matthew Stent said that he “wasn’t aware” there was a current waiting list for recycling boxes and pointed out there were alternative means that could be provided.

Mr Stent said: “We can dangle the carrot of advice and encouragement but there’s also the enforcement element and we’re looking to continue that around the food waste.”

Labour’s Cllr Sonia Behr believed that targeting residents with a very simple message would help increase collection rates.

Cllr Behr said: “People should be told how much this costs the council and that food waste is attracting rats, maybe that would help with the fines.”

Councillors accepted the report, and it is expected that the council’s cabinet will receive the report in December.