Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

The Household Waste Recycling Centre at Llangadog is to remain open. The council’s waste and recycling section has met with AWS Ltd, which runs the site on its behalf, and has agreed that it shall remain open for the next 12 months. The contract for the recycling centre at Llangadog was due to come to an end on March 31 and as a result the authority took the opportunity to look at the provision of household waste recycling centres in Carmarthenshire as part of a review of its overall waste strategy. Director of Technical Services Richard Workman said: “We are delighted that following discussions with AWS we have been able to reach a decision to keep the household waste recycling centre at Llangadog open. “I hope householders will continue to use the recycling centre and help us to reach future recycling targets set by Welsh Government.” Last year, the county achieved a 54% recycling rate, exceeding Wales’s first statutory recycling target of 52%. The next target is 58% by 2015/16. Mr...

Summer is on its way and Carmarthenshire’s Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) are now open later. All five sites across the county have now switched to their summer opening times (from April 1 to September 30). Trostre (Llanelli); Nantycaws (Carmarthen); Wernddu (Ammanford) and Whitland, run on behalf of the council by CWM Environmental, are now open from 8.30am to 7pm seven days a week. Llangadog, which is operated by AWS, is open from 8am to 6pm weekdays and 10am to 4pm weekends and Bank Holidays. Remember you can recycle around 30 different types of waste at the HWRCs and you can also take along your blue bags if you missed your collection (except Llangadog). The aim is to make it as easy as possible for residents to recycle and dispose of their waste. For further information on what materials can be recycled at the HWRCs visit www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/recycling

If you have any unwanted crutches or walking frames hanging around the house, take them along to your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre so that they can be put to good use. The council has teamed up with the Integrated Community Equipment Service, based in Dafen, Llanelli, which supplies equipment including crutches, walking frames, and toileting aids to over 5,000 people. Any living aids that are taken to the recycling centres at Nantycaws (Carmarthen); Trostre (Llanelli); Wernddu (Ammanford); Whitland and Llangadog will be returned to the equipment store so that it can be cleaned, checked and then re-issued to someone who needs it. For further information on the Equipment Service call 01554 744359 or email cices@carmarthenshire.gov.uk For more information on waste and recycling visit www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/recycling

Improvements carried out at Carmarthenshire's Household Waste Recycling Centres has already seen a 7% increase in the recycling rate. The council’s Environment Scrutiny Committee set up a Task and Finish Group to carry out a review of the HWRCs (formerly known as civic amenity sites). There are five in Carmarthenshire for residents to dispose of and recycle their rubbish – from garden waste to electricals to carpets and mattresses. Four of the sites at Trostre (Llanelli), Wernddu (Ammanford), Nantycaws (Carmarthen) and Whitland are operated on behalf of the council by CWM Environmental Ltd and the fifth site at Llangadog is operated by AWS Ltd. One of the main aims of the review was to look at the recycling rates being achieved at the sites and how they could be improved. The group, which was being chaired by Cllr Jim Jones and also included Cllr Keith Davies, Cllr Mari Davies, Cllr David Jenkins and Cllr Huw Morgan, visited each of the sites as well as two out-of-county sites ...

A survey is being carried out to find out what people think of Carmarthenshire’s Household Waste Recycling Centres. Residents are being urged to visit the council’s website www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk and complete the survey, which is being carried out by the council’s Street Scene division. Paper copies of the survey are also available at the council’s Customer Service Centres and all five of the HWRCs in the county. The survey is being carried out at the request of the Task and Finish Group, set up by the Environment Scrutiny Committee, which is currently undertaking a review of the sites. Group chair Cllr Jim Jones said: “We have already visited the five sites and we were very impressed by what we saw. However, it is important we find out what the public think of the facilities provided at the sites and if they can be improved in any way. I would urge residents to please complete the survey either through the website or by filling in a paper copy if they prefer, it will only tak...

A Task and Finish Group has been set up to carry out a review of Carmarthenshire’s Household Waste Recycling Centres. The review is being carried out on behalf of the council’s Environment Scrutiny Committee with the aim of increasing the county’s recycling rate. There are five HWRCs – formerly known as civic amenity sites – in Carmarthenshire for the public to recycle any rubbish that is not collected at the kerbside as well as dispose of other household waste. Four of the sites at Trostre (Llanelli), Wernddu (Ammanford), Nantycaws (Carmarthen) and Whitland are operated on behalf of the council by CWM Environmental Ltd and the fifth site at Llangadog is operated by AWS Ltd. One of the main aims of the review is to look at the recycling rates being achieved at the sites and how they could be further improved. The group, which is being chaired by Cllr Jim Jones, will look at the resources and provision at each of the sites and compare the recycling rates with other sites as well as best...

Old or unwanted carpets and mattresses are now being recycled by Carmarthenshire County Council. Residents can take them along to the Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) at Trostre (Llanelli); Nantycaws (Carmarthen); Wernddu (Ammanford) and Whitland. The council has been working with CWM Environmental Limited – which runs the HWRCs on its behalf - to find a market for carpets and mattresses as previously they were going to landfill. Carpets are now being shredded and used as bedding for horses while the metal and textiles in mattresses are being separated and then recycled. The council is also working All Waste Services (AWS), the company that runs the HWRC in Llangadog. Carpets are being recycled and arrangements will hopefully be in place for mattresses to be recycled sometime in the New Year. The council wants to make it as easy as possible for residents to recycle and dispose of their waste. Director of technical services Richard Workman said: “I am delighted we are now able ...

Did you know you can recycle around 30 different types of waste at Carmarthenshire’s Household Waste Recycling Centres? And they are all open seven days a week? The council has also extended the winter opening hours at four of the sites due to public demand. Trostre (Llanelli); Nantycaws (Carmarthen); Wernddu (Ammanford) and Whitland are now open from 8.30am to 5pm (from November1). The sites are run on behalf of Carmarthenshire County Council by Cwm Environmental Limited. The aim is to make it as easy as possible for residents to recycle and dispose of their waste. There is also a Household Waste Recycling Centre at Llangadog which is open from 9am to 5pm during the winter months. All five sites are closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. For further information on what materials can be recycled at the HWRCs visit www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk

Council staff in Carmarthenshire were encouraged to bring and not bin their old electrical items to be recycled during Recycle Week. Many of us are already recycling everyday items such as newspapers, cans and plastic bottles but old and unused electrical items can also be recycled from broken toasters and kettles gathering dust in the loft, to old mobile phones in drawers and disused power tools cluttering up the garage. To raise awareness of this the council’s waste team put pink skips in council offices during Recycle Week and asked to staff to bring in any small electrical items that were either broken or not being used anymore. Research shows that just under 30 per cent of us simply throw broken or unwanted items away in the rubbish, whereas if we switched to recycling these items we could divert over 100,000 tonnes of valuable waste electricals from UK landfills each year - the equivalent weight of 14,000 double decker buses! Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is on...