Until recent years everything we put out for the household ‘rubbish’ collection was usually tipped in old quarries or used to raise the level of low-lying land. These ‘landfill’ sites are becoming hard to find and costly to reach (there are none in Monmouthshire – let’s keep it that way).  In Wales the amount of rubbish produced by each person has tripled in the last 20 years and disposing of this rubbish is a big problem.  The average UK family with children throws away £680 of food waste away every year. It is this biodegradable stuff that causes the most problems when sent to landfill. As food and garden waste rots down, it produces methane which is a harmful greenhouse gas (20 times worse than carbon dioxide) which contributes to global warming.

Useful websites are:

www.wasteonline.org.uk
www.recyclenow.com
www.wasteawarenesswales.org.uk
www.wen.org.uk (nappies etc)
and here for entry to the County Council's web pages.

Waste Reduction Targets

Monmouthshire is currently recycling around half of its household  waste and in line with Welsh Government policy is working ‘Towards Zero Waste’. This means making less rubbish and recycling more – so we send as close to ‘zero waste’ to landfill as possible.

By 2025,Wales must recycle and compost at least 70% of its waste.  Monmouthshire is currently on target for doing so, having trebled its performance in a few years, but it still relies heavily on your help, and council tax payers will have to fund penalties if their area fails to meet these targets. Any waste that is not recycled will still have to go to landfill (perhaps much reduced in bulk, possibly by controversial incineration).  Monmouthshire County Council is working with four other local authorities to build an energy from waste plant that will process the remaining waste and produce energy at the same time.

Our first aim must be to reduce waste (e.g. buying less, avoiding food waste, hiring or borrowing rather than buying, using libraries, avoiding or reusing plastic bags, avoiding over-packaging and disposable items, registering with www.mpsonline.org.uk to minimise junk mail). 

Reusing

Reusing things (e.g. by avoiding throwaway items, by taking things to charity shops, using rechargeable batteries, selling via Ebay, www.gumtree.com, newspaper or newsagent ads, offering toys to playgroups, reusing blank scrap paper, laundering cotton nappies, using returnable milk bottles, reusing shopping bags and containers – buy refills, reusing plastic ice cream cartons as food containers), or repairing rather than buying new (often easier said than done today, but there are options – e.g. furniture, cookers and washing machines via Homemakers, a local community organisation) are good options. The Freecycle network, www.dontdumpthat.com, or www.swapshop.co.uk may be able to help you find a home for almost anything.  Other web sites include www.warp-it.co.uk,  www.gumtree.com, www.snaffleup.co.uk, www.readitswapit.co.uk, and www.musicmagpie.co.uk.

As recession bites, charity shops are particularly short of donations, especially clothing.  Charities need to maintain their income as cash donations fall, and the demand for clean used clothing increases.

Recycling

Recycling (often the easiest, though it may involve more energy-consuming operations – composting involves little) also adds to the useful life of the material before it becomes ‘waste’.   .  Most households in Monmouthshire now have weekly recycling kerbside collections for food and garden waste.  Many people participate in the collections but the Council still needs more people to put more materials out for collection in order to reach the targets set by the Welsh Government.  Recycling an aluminium can saves enough energy to run your TV for three hours; recycling a glass bottle saves enough for 15 minutes.

For more information visit  www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/refuseandrecycling.

You can make your own compost to enrich your garden (free and no need to buy fertiliser and peat-based products – peat is a threatened natural habitat). Up to two-thirds of your waste could be composted, including much kitchen and garden waste, paper and cardboard. You don’t have to have a container – a waterproofed heap will do – but it is tidier and better to build your own container (reusing timber, etc.) or take advantage of the Council’s reduced price offer (if available) by contacting your One Stop Shop. The Council also distributes a useful guide to composting produced with support from Chepstow Friends of the Earth. See also our Gardening section.

Householders not served by, or missing, the collection services can also take waste material to Civic Amenity Sites or Recycling Centres.

But don’t spoil the benefits by making a one-purpose car trip. You can help the market for recycled products by choosing them when shopping.

An A - Z to some common waste problems

Aerosol cans: No longer use CFCs but may still do some damage to the ozone layer (increasing our danger of skin cancer) – try to use pump action dispensers.  Empty aerosols can be recycled in your weekly purple bag collection

Asbestos: May be very dangerous – use specialist contractors.  Household asbestos can be taken to Llanfoist and Five Lanes transfer stations but must be double wrapped in heavy duty polythene and booked in by calling 01633 644897.

Batteries: Take car batteries to one of the Civic Amenity Sites for recycling. Most shops now have facilities for battery recycling . The Council’s One Stop Shops, libraries, schools and leisure centres also have battery recycling boxes.  

Building materials: Only a maximum of two black bags full of DIY waste can be taken to Civic Amenity Sites. More than this can be taken to the Llanfoist or Five Lanes sites where it can be weighed and paid for. Otherwise use skip hire companies (check that they are licensed to dispose of waste) or, if in good condition or of architectural interest, salvage merchants.

Business or commercial waste: Contact the Council on 01600 712354. Envirowise offers advice to small businesses.

CDs, DVDs,etc: Try www.polymerrecycling.co.uk.

Cars and other Vehicles: May have scrap value with dealers in Yellow Pages. Report any abandoned or burnt out vehicles to your One Stop Shop.  

Christmas trees: Can be collected as part of your green waste collection if you have one, or can be recycled for compost at Caerwent, Llanfoist or Troy Civic Amenity Sites. Why not have a small potted tree to bring in and use year after year?

Cookers, fridges, freezers, washing machines, furniture and other bulky items: If you cannot repair and/or sell them or arrange reuse (e.g. via Homemakers), for a small charge (£7 minimum) the Council will collect - contact your One Stop Shop. Or you can arrange delivery to your Civic Amenity Site (those at Mitchel Troy and Usk can take refrigerators, TVs etc but not larger items such as washing machines or cookers). It is essential that damaging CFC gases are removed from fridges and freezers by experts – keep them upright.

Computers: Homemakers will check and resell donated working computers less than four years old. Otherwise deliver to your Civic Amenity Site.

Electric and Electronic Items: These can no longer be placed in your bin - they may be taken to Civic Amenity Sites (not washing machines or cookers at Mitchel Troy or Usk) or collected by arrangement with your One Stop Shop. Many shops now also have take back schemes. Retailers or manufacturers are intended to be responsible for recycling these items - for more guidance click here.

Flowerpots (plastic): Check whether your local garden centre will re-use these.

Foil: Can now be recycled in your purple bag recycling collection.

Fly tipping: Report to the Council’s Street Cleansing section - 01633 644644 – needles and syringes will be removed without delay.

Household chemicals, paints, etc: Never pour them down the drain – check the manufacturer’s instructions. Small amounts of many weak household products may be put out for the refuse collection, but paint, varnish, stronger chemicals, etc should be taken to a Civic Amenity Site.

Litter: Report to your local One Stop Shop or to the Council’s Street Scene Officer 01633 644127 or e-mail davidjones2@monmouthshire.gov.uk.

Medication: Return unused pills and medicines to your pharmacy – don’t flush them down the loo.

Metals: Take to your Civic Amenity Site.

Mobile phones: These contain many toxic substances but many charities such as Oxfam now accept them for recycling, or you can usually return them to the shop where they were purchased.  You can trade in phones at www.fonebak.com and www.fonebank.com.

Nappies: Disposable nappies consume resources and contribute greatly to landfill problems, so reusing real cotton nappies reduces waste (and saves money).  See choices at www.goreal.org.uk.

Oil: Take used engine oil to a Civic Amenity Site – putting this down the drain or dumping it is very polluting and could lead to a heavy fine. Small amounts of cooking oil or fat are acceptable in your refuse collection – but in winter why not mix fat, bread and fruit or nuts and hang out for birds to feed on?

Plastics: Plastic bottles and food containers can now be recycled in your purple bag recycling collection.  Otherwise try www.therecyclingpeople.co.uk at Ross-on-Wye.

Printer ink cartridges: A local company collects inkjet cartridges for refilling and resale.

Sanitary items: Never flush them down the toilet – they may end up on beaches. Use the rubbish collection.

Tetra Paks and other paper-based food and beverage cartons: Can now be recycled in your red bag recycling collections.

Tools: Tools for Self-Reliance repair traditional non-electric hand tools for use in third world countries.

Tyres: Your new tyre supplier should dispose of your old ones. If you have old tyres you need to dispose of, most major retailers will recycle them for a small charge of around £1. Never burn old tyres. When buying, remember that today’s retreads are safe.

For more advice contact the County Council’s Recycling Team by phone (01633 644897) or visit www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/refuseandrecycling.

Finally, there is the question of how we want ourselves disposed of after our death. Cremation is now frowned upon, causing pollution and climate change, and burial in churchyards and cemeteries consumes precious space. Monmouthshire now has a Green Burial Ground in open countryside adjoining native woodland near Usk. Low impact coffins of willow, cardboard, unvarnished wood or even hardened paper may be specified for any funeral.