Recycle for Wales | Where and How to Recycle

Ailgylchu yn fy ardal | Recycle for Wales

Waste plants operating at 'post-Christmas levels' as recycling rates rocket during Coronavirus lockdown

What can our rubbish bins reveal about us? You might be surprised. Back when the Coronavirus lockdown first began, the headlines were full of tales of panic-buying, with supermarket shelves emptied of non-perishables faster than they could be restocked. Sure enough, recycling figures for mid-April show a whopping 70% increase in the number of tins and cans being processed. And - perhaps a reflection of reports that wine sales rocketed - there was a 20% increase in glass being recycled, too. By early May, waste and recycling firm Suez UK says it saw an 80% rise in plastics. In fact, bosses at Suez tell me they’ve been operating at record-breaking levels for weeks now, likening it to the post-Christmas peak when households are throwing away tonnes and tonnes of packaging. In the first week in June, the plant at Landor Street in Birmingham processed 2,200 tonnes. That’s 10% above record levels, and 25% higher than the same time last year. And interestingly, where all this extra work has come from also reflects the story of lockdown.

CASGLIADAU GWASTRAFF AC AILGYLCHU YN YSTOD YR ARGYFWNG COVID-19 | Recycle for Wales

COMPOSTIO YN Y CARTREF | Recycle for Wales

Hoffi Bwyd Casáu Gwastraff | Recycle for Wales