Hefin David is the Labour MS member of Senedd and on Wednesday he created a session entitled “The New Workplace Recycling Regulations” and his open session is entitled “Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the impact of the new workplace recycling regulations that came into effect in Wales on 6 April 2024? OQ60911” and one of the other Labour MS people Huw Irranca-Davies responds and then Hefin comments and he refers to the Aber Valley YMCA. The full session can be obtained from here and here are the comments from Huw and Hefin.

Huw: Thank you, Hefin. Yes. The regulations in question will increase recycling and reduce carbon emissions by keeping high-quality materials in use for as long as possible. This will reduce waste incinerated and landfilled whilst helping our economy and the resilience of supply chains, and it represents a vital step in tackling the climate and nature emergencies that we face.

Hefin: Now that the changes have been introduced, charities have contacted me about some of the difficulties that the regulations entail, particularly the cost of multiple new bins and creating the space to store additional recycling waste. So, just to give you an example, I’ve been contacted by the Aber Valley YMCA in Abertridwr, the First Senghenydd Scout Group, who run the CRAI Scout Activity Park, and Tŷ Hafan, who have a shop in Caerphilly, and all of them have concerns that the multiple requirements that the regulations have for storage of waste are costing them money. For example, the Tŷ Hafan shop in Caerphilly recycles or reuses 90 per cent of its donations and, therefore, although they’re committed and passionate about recycling, they are having to take the burden of the additional costs, and you add onto that the fact that municipal tips don’t take business waste—not in Caerphilly. So, what can the Welsh Government do to provide that kind of practical help to resolve some of those issues, particularly for those most deserving cases, such as charitable organisations?