Caerphilly County Borough Local Delivery Group
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The Things We Own and De-Own: Waste and the Circular Economy

This strategy is currently in draft form.
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What’s this chapter about?

We make products, use them, and throw them away. This is known as the linear economy and creates greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) when products are made, transported and disposed of. In Caerphilly County Borough, waste disposal contributes to our GHG emissions. Additionally, when we buy goods produced abroad it creates emissions overseas, adding to our overall carbon footprint.

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The linear economy harms the environment. Collecting raw materials damages habitats and uses water and energy. Disposing of waste takes up space and pollutes our surroundings. The environment can only handle so much waste and resource extraction. If everyone in the world lived like we do in the UK, we would need four planets to provide the materials we use and to process the waste we produce.

This chapter will discuss the ways in which we can take responsibility for our waste, how we can reduce the waste that we produce, and how best to dispose of the waste that we generate.

Why is this important?

Taking ownership and responsibility for what waste we produce, and how we dispose of it, is crucial in meeting our target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. If we can train ourselves to consider the full life cycle of waste, at the point of purchase, we can make informed decisions that will contribute to preventing a climate crisis. Extending the life cycle of our products and raw materials by encouraging a Circular Economy will further reduce our waste-related carbon footprint. Whilst the residents we consulted were proud of their recycling efforts, we need a borough-wide transition to understanding that not owning products in the first place is by far the bigger win.

It is important to recognise the limitations of the public sector in understanding the full extent of waste within Caerphilly County Borough. Private waste collection by waste management businesses and large multinational organisations with a presence in the Borough is not captured within waste data. The handling, sorting and processing of this waste will mostly occur outside the territorial boundary of Caerphilly County Borough. However, residents and businesses do have agency in the creation of this waste and decision-making power in what they consume and from whom.

Where we are now?

Currently, Caerphilly County Borough Council (CCBC) is not meeting its recycling targets set by Welsh Government. Historically, Caerphilly has compared well to other Welsh Councils, but in the last 5 years we have seen the ratio of residual waste to recycling worsen. As part of Welsh Government’s strategy to beat the climate emergency, it is important for local governments to meet these goals, so we have recently seen a huge effort towards moving Caerphilly in the right direction with waste.

Our commitment to the highest principles of sustainability drives our mission to design packaging that is recyclable, compostable, and aligned with a healthier planet.

Food waste that is recycled also has many uses. It can be converted into fertilisers for agriculture or energy which are a good alternative to fossil fuels. Food waste recycling is increasing. If we all stopped wasting the food which could have been eaten, it would have the same CO2 impact as taking 1 in 4 cars off UK roads.

Caerphilly County Borough has already taken big steps towards a more circular economy. Penallta Reuse shop repurposed13,696 items in the first 3 months of operation (1/9/22 to 11/12/22). Rhymney Furniture Revival has also been a success story, repairing and refurbishing otherwise unwanted furniture for a new lease of life. It is hoped that projects like these will multiply in future, moving us to a circular economy.

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What do we need to be driven by?

Caerphilly County Borough’s journey towards net zero waste is driven by a combination of national, regional, and local legislation and policies. Nationally, the Welsh Government’s Towards Zero Waste strategy sets the framework, aiming for a zero-waste Wales by 2050. This strategy emphasises waste prevention, increased recycling, and sustainable waste management practices. Regionally, the South East Wales Regional Waste Plan provides specific guidelines and targets for waste reduction and recycling, ensuring that local authorities work collaboratively.

Locally, Caerphilly County Borough Council has integrated these national and regional directives into its  2nd Replacement Local Development Plan (2RLDP), which outlines specific policies and actions to achieve sustainability and waste reduction. The 2RLDP includes promoting resource-efficient settlement patterns, supporting development of waste management facilities, and encouraging community participation in recycling programmes.

CCBC waste strategy will help meet our goals and serve as an investment to get us all to net zero by 2050. This strategy will be rolled out by 2028, with changes to the ways we collect and dispose of waste. These were written with The Wellbeing of Future Generations Act 2015 in mind, and as such are part of the wider strategy to make Wales more globally responsible. CCBC are acquiring a new site which will act as an operational depot and waste reclamation facility, as well as having necessary infrastructure to accommodate electrified rechargeable collection vehicles. This investment will go far to helping us achieve our carbon-reduction goals.

What do we want to achieve?

Responsibility

As a County Borough we need to take responsibility for the waste we generate, at home, work, and socially. Waste is generated by conscious and unconscious daily choices. What goes into our bins is determined by what purchases we make. When weighing up a purchase, we need to consider how that product will affect the waste stream when it outlives its usefulness.

Influence

At work, and especially when in positions that influence organisational change, we must work to change our habits and the habits of others around us to embrace our responsibility. This goal is about changing the way we think about waste.

Minimise Food Waste

One of our biggest challenges is minimising the amount of food waste that goes into refuse. We can tackle this with responsible purchasing, minimising spoilage with proper storage, and responsible disposal of scraps in the compost or food waste bin. Where food waste is unavoidable it should not go into refuse.

The idea should be to teach people how to use leftovers and cook correct portions. Composting gets rid of my food waste and my cardboard. My pets eat leftovers, so I don’t have ‘food waste’.

When food waste is processed through an anaerobic digestion chamber it can be used as an efficient renewable power source that can reduce our reliance on fossil fuel energy sources, as well as produce a low-carbon liquid fertiliser as a by-product. By diverting food waste away from incineration and towards anaerobic digestion plants we can minimise the carbon impact of our waste streams. While composting at home is preferable, not everything is suitable for home composting, nor does everyone have the means to compost at home. Diverting this food waste towards the dedicated food waste stream is imperative.

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Focus on having enough

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This is about rejecting the desire to have the newest product; settling for just enough rather than the newest. Using a product until it breaks rather than ending its life by upgrading to a newer model will reduce carbon footprint. Wastage is generated by replacing usable items with newer iterations. Use it until it breaks, and repair if cost-effective. If it is necessary to upgrade an item, it should be sold on or donated so that it can live out its life cycle before it breaks. For purchases of technology, clothing, furniture and food, not purchasing excess amounts due to deals avoids waste from date expiry or lack of use. Changing the mindset to only purchasing enough of what is needed will limit unnecessary carbon footprint from producing items that don’t need to be replaced.

Encourage more, educate residents as to why this must happen. I feel rubbish has got so much worse and this needs to be tackled in schools. Educate the kids what happens to anything they throw on the floor!

Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Repurpose, Recycle. The Circular Economy

Broadening green perspectives to earlier stages in resource use, instead of relying on recycling. Reducing waste, reusing what can’t be reduced, and recycling what can’t be reused, repaired or repurposed. Prolonging the life cycle of any material rather than recycling after single-use has a compounding, positive effect on carbon emissions. Linear economies are reliant on raw materials and energy being cheap, the circular economy preserves the value of the materials and energy that have already been used in the economy for much longer.

The Toybox Project is a volunteer-led initiative that collects unwanted toys and gifts them to families and organizations in need across South Wales. By diverting toys from landfill, this project supports the circular economy. Partnering with local businesses and organizations as drop-off points in Caerphilly and surrounding areas, the project provides hundreds of kilograms of toys weekly, benefiting over 400 children. Volunteers check and clean the donated toys to ensure they are complete, functional, and safe to pass on. Accordingly, cohesiveness and equality within the community will be greatly enhanced.

Increase opportunities for repair and reuse, how many residents charity shop or sell on Vinted? Where can you take items to repair. Are you promoting these types of businesses?

The VCSE sector supports small changes that make a big difference in reaching Net Zero targets. Their work includes small environmental projects, managing land for biodiversity, nature conservation, and carbon reduction. Examples include groups like Cefn Fforest Ecopark and various allotment societies focused on organic growing, reuse, recycling, and donating surpluses to food banks and the local community. Actions like these will be crucial in bringing the community together and increasing support for the vulnerable.

Minimising the amount of waste that goes to incineration is key to reducing our carbon     footprint, none of CCBC’s domestic or commercial waste goes to landfill.  Ensuring that all our recyclables are recycled rather than burned at an incinerator is vital, as plastics are made from fossil fuels and will release carbon into the air when burned. While the primary goal is to reduce waste, and use the least amount possible, there will always be some residual waste.

I love recycling and the thought that what I don’t need can be put to good use.

Electronics, clothes, and furnishings are thrown away when damaged, even though they can be repaired inexpensively. Making a conscious effort to repair will help minimise waste. Many products can be repurposed once their intended usefulness has been outlived. This furthers the life cycle of produced goods.

Minimise digital waste

Although we sometimes believe that a digital object has no carbon footprint, their energy usage at point of storage and access does create emissions. As our workplace and home lives become increasingly digitally-driven we need to follow the waste hierarchy principles here too. Considering whether we need to save a document or migrate it to the cloud, take and keep multiple images of the same event, regular deletion of large unnecessary documents, images and videos will all help us meet our carbon emission goals.

Products are made to purposely break within a short period. Phones, laptops have non-replaceable batteries. We’re encouraged to live in a disposable society to keep the economy going.

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How will we get there?

Community Co-operation

Widespread co-operation and pooling of resources will lead to an outcome more efficiently, and of greater effectiveness, than we could achieve as individuals. The aim of this strategic goal is to facilitate and participate in as much of this co-operation as possible. By providing spaces for the exchange of ideas, the pooling of resource, and encouraging co-operation between individuals we will far quicker reach our goal and build bonds within our communities.

Tackling Misinformation

Many of the unsustainable habits we engage in originate from common misconceptions, especially in waste. Unless we are informed, we cannot decide how to dispose of the waste we produce. When misinformation is the difference between an item of waste going to refuse or not, the tackling of widespread misinformation leads to gains in diverting waste from refuse.

We all have a part to play, and even what may seem like a small choice can lead to large impacts. It is not true that individuals are powerless. Just as important as knowing what can be recycled, is knowing what cannot be recycled. One wrong item in a recycling bin could mean the total contents being rejected at the recycling plant. One contamination is responsible for tonnes of otherwise recyclable material going to refuse. Minimising the risk of this is vital.

Pressure on those we buy from:

As consumers in our home and work lives, we can influence others with our spending, to manufacture and package products in a sustainable way.

How will we know we’re getting there?

Indicator Baseline Notes
Total waste tonnage 89,905.77 tonnes 2023/24 WasteDataFlow
Total emissions from waste 445.3 tCO₂e 2023/24 Welsh Government Net Zero Reporting on Municipal Waste
Percentage of waste to landfill 1.10% 2023/24 WasteDataFlow
Percentage of waste to EfW 38.70% 2023/24 WasteDataFlow
Percentage of waste recycled 48.74% 2023/24 WasteDataFlow
Percentage of waste composted 11.46% 2023/24 WasteDataFlow
Enforcements of waste legislation TBC

What are we already doing well?

Our commitment to tackle waste has seen Caerphilly County Borough move from a position of recycling less than 5% of municipal waste in 1997/98 to a recycling rate of 59.68% reported in 2021/22.

Highlights have been:

Encouraging responsibility and tackling misinformation by:

Adoption of the Be Mighty Campaign in support of Welsh Government’s aim for Wales to become the world number 1 in recycling.

Regular public engagement events and roadshows. The Waste Recycling Advisory Team has set up stalls in town centres and supermarkets, specifically promoting the Mash for Cash food waste incentive campaign, and attending all the Christmas Markets in towns, villages, and community centres.

Promoting waste hierarchy and circular economy by:

The rejuvenation and transformation of a former industrial unit into a Reuse Shop adjacent to a Household Waste Recycling Centre. The Reuse shop in just over 2 years has diverted 184,974 items from waste streams and back into the economy. Once this facility becomes more established, an increase in reuse activity and improvement in waste diversion targets are anticipated.

Obtaining over a million pounds of funding from the Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Fund, including £500,000 to develop Penallta Reuse Shop.

ABUHB have partnered with Lyreco to pioneer reuse of cardboard and paper waste from hospital sites to augment animal bedding contributing to the local circular economy and reduce emissions from waste.

Waste at SWFRS

SWFRS (South Wales Fire and Rescue Service) work to minimise waste, avoid unnecessary purchases of material goods and foster a culture of responsibility and resource efficiency.

We operate an internal corporate recycling system with a furniture catalogue on the intranet. Employees can browse stored items that may suit their needs. Purchase requests for new furniture are monitored and assessed by the sustainability officer. Suitable unused furniture within the organization is redistributed to meet needs instead of purchasing new items. Any assets that cannot be reused internally are donated to charities or other public or care institutions. We continuously seek ways to avoid landfill waste and unnecessary new purchases.

SWFRS were early adapters ahead of the Workplace Recycling Regulations (2023), establishing segregated containers and signage to allow for simple and effective recycling across stations and corporate buildings. Waste weights are monitored to gain insight into waste habits and streamline collections, and to create tailored communications and education pieces around good recycling practices.

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