A third of all the food that we buy ends up being thrown away - whilst some of this is tea bags and fish bones, most is perfectly good food that would have been eaten.
Contact details
Heads of the Valleys Waste Programme
Central Depot
Barleyfields Industrial Estate
Brynmawr
NP23 4YF
Tel: (01495) 311556
Fax: (01495) 312537
Email: Heads of the Valleys Waste Programme
Partners
Click on a logo to visit the Authority website
Did you know?
In Wales we buy, and then waste around £600 million on food that could have been eaten. That’s an average of £420 per household per year and for households with children it’s even more at around £610 a year.
By recycling your food waste you will reduce the amount of food in landfill sites. Rotting food in landfill produces methane gas which contributes to climate change and, as the cost of sending food waste to landfill is increasing, you will help the Councils and its residents save money too.
In Wales we throw away a staggering 410,000 tonnes of food and drink each year. 90% of us don’t realise how much food we throw away.
Current research suggests that about 40% (by weight) of the food thrown away that could have been eaten is fresh fruit and vegetables.
If we stopped wasting all this food, we could prevent enough carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each year that would equate to taking 1 in 5 cars off Welsh roads.
Wales produces enough waste to fill the Millennium Stadium every 20 days. Our greatest challenge is to see this waste as a resource. Everything we throw away contains valuable materials and the potential to generate energy.
Latest recycling figures
Recycling and composting rates from the partners:
- Caerphilly 44%
- Torfaen 43%
- Blaenau Gwent 29%
Latest News
23.01.2012
The 'Invitation to Submit Detailed Solutions' stage of the procurement process has just been completed. The two highest scoring participants have been selected and invited through to the 'Invitation to Submit Final Tenders' stage of the procurement process.
Waste in Wales
The Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) has recently adopted a new waste strategy document called 'Towards Zero Waste - the Overarching Waste Strategy for Wales'. The strategy sets out the vision for sustainable waste management in Wales and how the WAG and Local Authorities will build upon the previous strategy, 'Wise About Waste - the National Waste Strategy for Wales (2002)'.
Towards Zero Waste has been developed to help Wales, meet the following challenges:
Sustainability - We want to develop sustainably by enhancing the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of people and communities.
Ecological footprint - Ecological footprinting measures environmental impact. The management of our waste is responsible for around 15% of Wales’ ecological footprint.
Climate Change - We need to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions produced from waste. Direct emissions are produced by the decomposition of biodegradable waste in landfill sites. Waste contributes around 4.7% of direct greenhouse gas emissions in Wales.
Security of resources - We need to ensure we have enough resources, at an affordable price, to sustain our economy and way of life. By using resources more efficiently through waste prevention and high reuse and recycling rates, material security is improved and dependence on primary resources from outside the UK is reduced.
The document describes high level outcomes, policies and targets, and will be part of a suite of documents that will make up the national waste management plan for Wales. We need a society that is focused upon preventing waste at every opportunity and a recycling society, where everyone recycles wherever they are - at home, at leisure or at work.
What does this mean for you?
Towards Zero Waste sets ambitious and challenging, but achievable targets for the future. Changing the way we deal with waste in Wales will have huge benefits, for the environment, economy and our well-being.
Everyone in Wales has a role to play. The strategy outlines steps that we must all take if we are to reach our ambition of becoming a high recycling nation (70%) by 2025 and a zero waste nation by 2050.
