Conwy council threatens £100 fines for not recycling

Conwy council said it was targeting the "few" households that were not recyclingGetty Images

Conwy council said it was targeting the "few" households that were not recycling

Residents refusing to recycle in a north Wales county are facing £100 fines or court action in a council clampdown.

Conwy council said it was targeting the "few" households in the county that fail to get rid of rubbish correctly.

It said not recycling meant the council lost money it would otherwise get from selling the materials, which could be spent on services in the county.

The council called these costs "significant" and avoidable.

Its neighbourhood and environment member, Geoff Stewart, said weekly collections meant recycling was easy.

"It really doesn't take much time or effort to sort your items into the correct bags, bins and boxes," he said.

"For most people in Conwy it's already part of their routine."

The authority said it had a team that would visit residents to show them how to sort and recycle rubbish.

Mr Stewart said: "When people don't recycle what they can, we all lose out on the money we could make from selling recyclable materials, such as cans, paper, card and plastic.

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Residents not taking part now risk a £100 fine

"It also means we have to pay more than we need to get rid of the rubbish placed in black bins, because some of this could have been recycled.

"Money which could have been spent delivering or improving services for the community, such as schools, libraries, housing, parks and social services, is instead then spent on clearing up any mess and vermin created from overflowing bins, as well paying for these unnecessary disposal costs."

The new drive was launched on Monday.

Conwy council was the first in the country to introduce four-weekly bin collection for general waste, which it claimed in 2019 had boosted recycling in the county.

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