Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

The European Union Landfill Directive has changed the way that waste is managed. Landfill capacity is fast running out in the UK and it is widely recognised that it is not a sustainable option. Every effort has to be made to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Each of the partners in Prosiect Gwyrdd are committed to reducing, reusing and then recycling and composting as much waste as possible.

We all need to take responsibility for the waste we generate and try to reduce it. This is the priority and is the best management option.

We then need to reuse as much waste as possible. We ask the public to think resourcefully and counter the ‘throw away culture’ that has developed in modern society.

With the waste that cannot be reused, we all have to recycle and compost. All the local authorities are providing the facilities and educating the public about the importance of waste management. Participation levels are increasing, but each of the authorities are committed to further increasing the recycling and composting rates and meeting the EU targets ahead of us.

The results are improving, which is reflected in the following:

Recycling and composting rates 2013/14

Caerphilly: 57.6%
Cardiff: 49.7%
Monmouthshire: 62.9%
Newport: 51.7%
Vale of Glamorgan: 54.8%

The Welsh Assembly Government has outlined a 70% recycling and composting target for 2025 and the partner authorities are committed to meeting this target. Any excess waste to landfill that exceeds the given landfill allowance for each authority may result in a £200 fine per tonne. The priority is to meet the targets ahead of us to benefit the environment and avoid these significant fines.

Did you know?

  • The decomposition of waste in the absence of air, gives off methane. As a molecule, methane is 23 times more potent as a green house gas than carbon dioxide.
  • In the UK approximately 2.4 million tonnes of methane is release each year. Emissions from municipal solid waste landfill sites account for 27% of the national total.
  • Methane is recovered from landfill operations, but the collection rate at best is only 10%. This has to be compared to residual waste treatment plants where the collection rates are between 40-60%.

Landfill has historically been the chosen method to deal with waste. This cannot continue and a solution has to be found.

  • A third of all the food we buy ends up being thrown away.
  • In Wales we throw away 330 000 tonnes of food waste each year.
  • Organic waste, such as fruit, vegetables and tea bags make up to 38% of the contents of the average dustbin.
  • An estimated 6.7 million tonnes of household food waste is produced each year in the UK, most of which could be eaten.

Each of the local authorities in Prosiect Gwyrdd are committed to divert as much food waste as possible for composting and plans are underway to implement new schemes.

  • Every year in the UK, we throw away 28 million tonnes of rubbish from households. This weighs the same as three and a half million double decker buses.
  • Every day 80 million food and drink cans end up in landfill.
  • In the UK, we fill about 300 million square metres of land with rubbish each year.
  • We produce 20 times more plastic in the UK than we did 50 years ago.

Each of the local authorities in Prosiect Gwyrdd is committed to recycling and composting as much waste as practically possible. Residents have a duty to reduce and reuse as much waste as possible so that we can all improve the environment. Waste is everyone's problem.

Wyddech chi?

  • Mae gwastraff sy'n dadelfennu heb aer yn cynhyrchu methan. Fel moleciwl, mae methan yn gallu cynhyrchu 23 gwaith yn fwy o nwyon ty gwydr nag yw carbon deuocsid.
  • Yn y DU, rhyddheir oddeutu 2.4 miliwn o dunelli o fethan bob blwyddyn. Mae allyriadau o wastraff dinesig solid mewn safleoedd tirlenwi yn 27% o'r cyfanswm cenedlaethol.
  • Cesglir methan o weithredoedd tirlenwi, ond 10% ar y mwyaf yw'r gyfradd gasglu. Rhaid cymharu hwn â gwaith trin gwastraff gweddilliol lle mae'r cyfraddau casglu'n llawer uwch (gweler y tudalen dewisiadau).

Tirlenwi yw'r modd traddodiadol o ddelio â gwastraff. Ni all hyn barhau ac mae'n rhaid cael hyd i ateb arall.

  • Mae un rhain o dair o'r bwyd a brynwn yn cael ei daflu yn y pen draw.
  • Yng Nghymru, rydym yn taflu 330,000 tunnell o wastraff bwyd bob blwyddyn.
  • Gwastraff organig, megis ffrwythau, llysiau a bagiau te, yw hyd at 38% o gynnwys bin arferol.
  • Cynhyrchir oddeutu 6.7 miliwn o dunelli o wastraff bwyd cartref yn flynyddol yn y DU, a gellir bod wedi bwyta'r rhan fwyaf ohono.

Mae pob un o'r awdurdodau lleol sy'n rhan o Broject Gwyrdd wedi ymrwymo at ddargyfeirio cymaint o wastraff bwyd â phosibl i gael ei gompostio. Mae cyllid wedi'i glustnodi gan Lywodraeth y Cynulliad ar gyfer pob awdurdod.

  • Rydym yn taflu 28 miliwn o dunelli o sbwriel o gartrefi bob blwyddyn yn y DU. Mae hyn yn pwyso'r un faint â thua tair miliwn a hanner o fysus deulawr.
  • Mae 80 miliwn o dunelli o ganiau bwyd a diod yn mynd i safleoedd tirlenwi bob dydd.
  • Yn y DU rydym yn llenwi tua 300 miliwn o fetrau sgwâr o dir gyda sbwriel bob blwyddyn.
  • Rydym yn cynhyrchu 20 gwaith mwy o blastig yn y DU nag oeddem yn ei wneud hanner canrif yn ôl.

Mae pob un o'r awdurdodau lleol sy'n rhan o Project Gwyrdd wedi ymrwymo at ailgylchu a chompostio gymaint o wastraff ag sy'n bosibl. Mae dyletswydd ar breswylwyr i leihau ac ailddefnyddio gymaint o wastraff â phosibl er mwyn i ni gyd wella'r amgylchedd. Mae gwastraff yn broblem i bawb.

Manylion Cyswllt

Prosiect Gwyrdd
Lamby Way Depot
Lamby Way
Rumney
Cardiff
CF3 2HP

Ffôn: (029) 2071 7523
E-bost: GwybodaethProsiectGwyrdd@caerdydd.gov.uk

Do you want to contact us?

Prosiect Gwyrdd
Lamby Way Depot
Lamby Way
Rumney
Cardiff
CF3 2HP

Tel: (029) 2071 7523
E-mail: InfoProsiectGwyrdd@cardiff.gov.uk

So what are the partners doing to increase the recycling and composting rates?

  • Developing kerbside recycling and composting schemes for householders.
  • Developing new and improved household waste recycling centres or Civic Amenity sites.
  • Developing food waste collections for composting.
  • Developing bring sites for recycling.
  • Investing in recycling education to ensure the importance of recycling is realised.
  • Developing commercial recycling.
  • Developing contracts or building the infrastructure to process the waste for recycling and composting.
  • Promoting home composting.
  • Promoting waste reduction and reuse through educational campaigns and initiatives.

To find out more about waste and recycling in each of the local authority areas select a link below.

To find out more about waste and recycling education related websites, select a link below.

Once these targets are met, a solution has to be found for the remaining waste, as research shows that local authorities cannot continue to landfill as they have done in the past.