Blaenau Gwent council's U-turn on green waste charges

Charges for green waste collections have been scrapped in Blaenau Gwent after uptake dipped to just 1%.

The local authority introduced a £25 annual charge two years ago but 400 tonnes of green waste has ended up going to landfill instead.

Now, a free kerbside green waste service has been introduced across the borough in a bid to meet Welsh government recycling targets.

The move will save the Blaenau Gwent council around £21,000 a year.

Green waste includes grass cuttings, hedge cuttings, twigs and small branches.

Of the other 21 Welsh authorities, four charge an annual fee to collect green waste while two charge for green recycling bags. Four authorities have yet to respond.