Torfaen reports 13% rise in food recycling after first year of bin campaign
Food waste recycling in Torfaen has increased by 13% during the first year of the council’s bin education and enforcement campaign, according to new council figures. Rubbish collected from purple-lidded bins fell by 4% over the same period.
At a glance
- Food recycling
- Up 13%
- Purple-bin rubbish
- Down 4%
- Advice visits
- More than 700
- Fixed penalty notices
- 22
The team, which began work in September 2025, has made more than 700 educational visits. Officers issued more than 1,000 warning letters, 102 Section 46 notices and 22 fixed penalty notices.
Support before penalties
The campaign targets overfilled bins, extra rubbish bags and households that do not regularly separate recyclable items such as food and cardboard. The council says residents are offered advice first. Continued problems can lead to warnings and ultimately a £100 fixed penalty.
What the figures do not show
These are the council’s reported changes, not proof that enforcement alone caused them. The announcement gives no underlying tonnages or independently evaluated comparison. The 13% increase concerns food recycling, not a 13-percentage-point rise in the borough’s overall recycling rate.