Posted on: Wednesday 18 November 2020
The council working in partnership with, Capital Valley Plastic and FCC Environment, have won ‘The Best Local Authority Recycling Initiative of the Year’ at the Lets Recycle Awards for Excellence 2020.
To help tackle the problem of low density polythene, which is commonly used in items such as bread packaging and carrier bags, the council and Capital Valley Plastic are providing an education and collection programme about this issue to 22 primary schools in the borough. In addition to this project, low-density polythene can be recycled at the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) in New Inn which is run by FCC Environment.
Once collected from the schools and the HWRC, the plastics are separated and then sent to Capital Valley Plastics for reprocessing into damp-proof membranes, which are sold within the construction industry.
Councillor Mandy Owen, Executive Member for the Environment, said: “I am delighted that the project has received the recognition it deserves, especially after all of the hard work that has taken place to get the project up and running. I would like to thank everyone involved – it’s such a fantastic achievement.
“I would also like to thank all of the schools that have taken part in the initiative so far. Your support is greatly appreciated and we hope that pupils are enjoying learning more about recycling.”
Roger Phillips CEO, Capital Valley Plastics, said: “We are delighted to be part of this project, and we are so proud to win this award with our partners. The support we’ve had from the council’s waste and recycling team has been excellent.
“As a company, to have the opportunity to demonstrate to school children how important recycling is to the environment and to the wildlife is incredibly important. It’s truly inspiring to see the enthusiasm from the pupils when we visit schools.
“Now that the pilot scheme has proven successful we would like to encourage all councils in Wales to be part of this remarkable project and build on our joint success.”
FCC Environment’s Julie Fourcade, Head of External Affairs, commented: “We are delighted to see Torfaen’s recycling scheme awarded The Best Local Authority Recycling Initiative of the Year at this prestigious ceremony. The scheme is a true partnership between all those involved and one that is helping to make a real difference – fittingly reflected with this award win. Our relationship with Torfaen is incredibly important to us and we look forward to building on the continued success of this project throughout Torfaen.”
To find out more about recycling in Torfaen visit www.torfaen.gov.uk/recycle