From 1 April 2025, you must not bring unsorted waste to the Household Recycling Centre.
Residents bringing in black bags must separate their waste before attending site. Over 50% of items brought in black bags are recyclable.
As part of our Resource & Waste Strategy, Flintshire County Council has committed to support and promote the Welsh Government’s strategy to create a sustainable, circular economy in Flintshire. Waste has a big impact on the environment and by increasing what we recycle and disposing of less we can all reduce our impact.
Although it is acknowledged that many residents are recycling as much as they can and are contributing to the 62% figures, recent compositional analysis shows that around 58% of waste in black bins can be recycled through our multiple recycling services. Recyclable materials such as food, glass, cans, paper, plastics, and cardboard are being thrown away when they can be collected weekly and recycled at the kerbside or Household Recycling Centres.
The Visible Waste Policy seeks to encourage residents to sort their waste for recycling, so we can avoid sending valuable materials to incineration. We all have a Duty of Care to dispose of our recycling and waste correctly.
The statutory target for the amount of waste prepared for reuse, recycled, and composted increased to 70%, having previously been set at 64% in the preceding years as part of Welsh Government’s “Beyond Recycling” Strategy.
However, as a Council, Flintshire has not managed to achieve the statutory targets since 2019 and, without significant service change, will not meet the 70% target required.
This could lead to further significant financial penalties being imposed by Welsh Government, which are already expected to be in excess of £1million.
The visible waste policy will be introduced at HRCs from 1 April 2025, all residents are advised to sort their waste before attending site and ensure their waste is visible upon arrival.
Sort recyclable waste from non-recyclable materials at home so that when you visit the HRC you can place directly into the correct bins. This will make your visit quicker and easier.
Be prepared to open bags that you bring to the HRC to show our team that they do not contain recycling. If they do, you may be asked to return home and sort.
Only non-recyclable items will be allowed in the Household Waste residual skip.
We each have a Duty of Care to dispose of our recycling and waste correctly. We offer an extensive recycling service through our kerbside collection and HRC sites. If we all take the correct steps there should be no increase in waste levels and/or fly tipping.
Fly tipping is a criminal offence. Any individuals who do not deal with their waste responsibly and engage in fly tipping will be investigated by the Council’s enforcement team and could face significant fines.
Other councils in Wales that have introduced a Visible Waste policy at their HRCs have not experienced an increase in fly tipped materials.
Please ensure any sensitive items are separated before attending site.
No. We all have a Duty of Care over our own recycling and waste therefore it is your responsibility to sort them prior to entering site.
If operatives are unable to see contents of waste, and you cannot sort safely into the correct skips, you will be asked to leave site and may return once the recycling and waste materials have been sorted.
Residents can have as many recycling boxes / bags as they require to ensure all recyclable waste is able to be placed out for collection.
Request recycling / waste items
Your recycling is making a BIG difference in Flintshire.
Thank you for continuing to do the right thing and for doing your bit for the environment, by sorting your waste and recycling what you can.