Wales sets 70% recycling target

At least 70% of all waste produced in Wales will be recycled by 2025 under ambitious new guidelines announced this week.


The targets are part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s new waste strategy which sets out how Wales proposes to tackle the issue over the next four decades.

Jane Davidson, environment, sustainability & housing minister at the assembly believes this move is the ‘most ambitious’ recycling plan among all the administrations of the UK.

Preliminary recycling information for the first three quarters of 2008 to 2009 reveal Wales has recycled 36% of its municipal waste – a 4% increase over the 2007/08 figure of 32%.

But, the newly announced targets would mean almost doubling this to 70% recycling target for municipal and household waste.

The assembly government is also setting a tough 90% target for recycling, recovery and reuse of non hazardous waste from construction.

Both of which will contribute to the long term goal of making Wales a ‘zero waste’ nation by 2050 and reducing the country’s ecological footprint closer to the average availability of resources – 1.8 global hectares per person.

Mrs Davidson, said: “What we do with our waste reflects how we treat our country and planet.

“We can no longer simply bury waste in the land to rot. We need to act now for the sake of our country. Will we be able to look our grandchildren in the eye and say we did all we could to protect where they live?”

Luke Walsh

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