Last Updated : 22 December 2007

Monmouthshire's Community Recycling Tops Welsh Assembly Recyling League

Monmouthshire Community Recycling were delighted to find that they topped a recent Welsh Assembly survey, which identified the recycling operation as being one of the most cost effective recycling services in Wales. The Survey of Funding of Municipal Waste Management Kerbside Collection in Wales, which examined collection costs for recycling and rubbish services in Wales, was published on the 13th September.

Recycle with Monmouthshire Community Recycling for the price of a pack of peanuts

Monmouthshire Community Recycling were shown to have the second lowest collection costs out of the 22 local authorities surveyed at 24p per household per week/£89.50 per tonne and the lowest cost for collections in rural areas.

It also showed that ‘source separated’ collections (where recycling materials are separated at the kerbside and sent to a reprocessor for recycling) are much cheaper than ‘co-mingled’ collections where recycling materials are collected altogether and then sent to a MRF (Materials Reclamation Facility) to be separated.

Monmouthshire Community Recycling’s Executive Director, David Roman, says, “We recently measured participation rates of 68% across the whole area, but up to 95% in individual villages. This is exceptional and is one of the reasons the service costs peanuts, literally-the weekly cost of 24p is the price of one small packet of peanuts.”

Andy Bond, ECT Recycling’s Managing Director commented “The Report shows that the majority of local authorities are not getting a value for money recycling collection service. The best value for money is being provided by two community sector organisations, including Monmouthshire Community Recycling, providing source separated collections.”

Environmental Achievements

Just over the last year MCR recycled 3646 tonnes, which means:

• 31,926 trees saved through paper recycling
• 427,280 KWH of energy savings through aluminium recycling alone
• 471 tonnes of CO2 emissions saved through glass recycling alone

Monmouthshire has an estimated recycling rate of over 31% for 2006-07 and is one of the best performing local authorities in Wales for landfill diversion.

Monmouthshire on the road to Zero Waste

An exciting opportunity has arrived for Monmouthshire to Think Globally Act Locally.  The Zero Waste Village project goes beyond just recycling a bit more - it is about changing the way we think about our resources and proving what can be done on the ground.  Zero Waste is a global idea, with communities from Canada, Cairo, New Zealand and Nepal all coming to the same conclusion - we shouldn't be just managing waste, we should be trying to eliminate it! 

In Monmouthshire, the Environment Partnership has brought together groups to work out ways to showcase one or more communities that will take the challenge on.  MCR and Monmouthshire County Council offer kerbside collections of paper, glass, cans, clothing, plastics, cardboard, green waste, and food waste in some areas.  St Arvans is one village where take-up has been exceptionally good, with at least 80% of residents regularly using these services. 

The Zero Waste Village project goes to the next step, working out sustainable ways of dealing with anything that is still going to waste (reduce, reuse, recycle - in that order).  With funding from Environment Wales recently confirmed, Monmouthshire can now launch the project and show what can be done.  This is a first for Wales and ultimately the only way for waste to go. 

Calling all residents of Llangattock-vibon-Avel!

Your new recycling centre is officially up and running at Llangattock-vibon-Avel school.  If you live in the area or have children at the school, you are very welcome to use the new purpose-built recycling 'pavilion', with bins for paper, glass, cans and clothing, which will be emptied by MCR.  Until we can cover the whole county, we are encouraging more drop-off points wherever we can.  This site was set up by staff at the school with assistance from Monmouthshire County Council. 

Investors In People Award presented by local MP

In December 2005 MCR gained Investors In People accreditation.  This is a mark of the company's commitment to training and developing its workforce, including paid staff and volunteers.  The standard puts people at the heart of the organisation, and helps employers get into a culture of continuous improvement.  Jessica Morden MP visited the MCR site, presented the award and spoke to staff and directors about their work. 

One of the projects discussed was a venture involving Prescoed Resettlement Unit.  This gives prisoners an opportunity to do voluntary work for community benefit, when they have been thoroughly risk assessed.  MCR offers volunteer placements and paid jobs to a mixed workforce, and now works with both the Probation Service and Prescoed.  Home Office figures show that nationally the reconviction rate for offenders released from prison is 67 percent, but 53 percent for those who have completed community sentences.

Jessica Morden MP commented:

"Social enterprises like this provide solutions which work for the whole community by giving people a chance to develop skills, gain secure employment and create a better environment for us all through recycling."

Back to School for Teachers

A Waste Awareness and Eco-Schools Training Day for teachers was held on 15^th February.

Raglan Primary School hosted the event and presentations were delivered by:

• Monmouthshire Community Recycling (MCR) on the Black Box recycling scheme and services for schools;
• Keep Wales Tidy on the Eco – Schools Programme.
• Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) on recycling and sustainability;

 More than 20 schools attended and went away with the education pack ‘the Paper Cycle’, including books, video and interactive games and quizzes, as well as five packs each of mouse mats, pencils, pads and pencil cases, all made from recycled materials and printed up with the ‘recycle for Monmouthshire’ message. 

David Roman, General Manager of MCR, explained the context of the day:

“This is the second phase of a big push by MCR and MCC to get a waste awareness champion in every school in the county.  We offer weekly collections of paper and cans to all schools in the area, supported by talks on the 3Rs, and specific projects like the Yellow Woods Challenge, and Alupro’s Trees for Cans scheme.”  

The Training day was about more than waste/resource management, and also tackled fair trade and sustainable development.  All the issues were tied together through the Eco Schools standard, which encourages the whole school community to develop an achievable action plan. 

Laura Welsh, a teacher at Magor Primary School, said ”The day provided us with a range of useful resources and gave a good insight into how to develop the Eco – Schools Initiative and will also help us to develop a positive attitude to the three R’s (Reduce, Re-use, Recycle) in school.”   

All of the Monmouthshire schools package is completely free of charge to the school.  Funding and support is from  Careers Wales, Rural Community Action, Big Lottery Fund, UPM Kymmene (Shotton Paper Mill), and Alupro.