Conwy four-weekly bin collections to boost recycling

Four-weekly bin collections have begun as part of a year-long trial in Conwy to encourage residents to recycle more.

About 10,300 homes, which get their general waste collected on a Monday, will be affected by the change.

Collections in the rest of the council area will also change from being picked up every fortnight to every three weeks.

The council said recycling and food waste would still be collected weekly.

The move comes after a year-long survey found more than half the items placed in wheelie bins in the county should have been recycled - causing £1.6m of waste a year.

Conwy councillor Dave Cowans said: "More than 11,000 householders replied [to the survey], with the majority agreeing that the council should take steps to reduce waste.

"Respondents also confirmed that they could manage accordingly if refuse was collected less frequently and recycling collected weekly."

But Conservative Clwyd West AM Darren Millar described the plans as "absolutely ridiculous" and claimed it would lead to a rise in fly tipping, litter and pest control incidents.

"I don't want that laid at the door of the local authority, and that's why I want them to step back from these proposals and to crack on with the fortnightly collections that people have now," he said.

He said Conwy council could do more to increase recycling rates without cutting collections, adding: "... I think it's wrong that people are paying more and more in council tax and actually getting less and less in services - they feel ripped off."