Recycling plan bins trial for Swansea flats families

COMMUNAL kit-chen waste bins are being trialled at Swansea flats in advance of a city-wide change to household rubbish collection.

Currently, most residents in council-run or private flats do not have access to the kitchen waste recycling service which has been rolled out across Swansea.

But waste chiefs want that to change before the new collection system is implemented.

The trials involve each flat being given a small kitchen waste bin, which can be emptied into a communal bin on the ground floor.

Flats included in the pilot scheme are at Harford Court and Hanover Court in Sketty, and Drovers Court in Gowerton.

Under the waste coll- ection changes, householders will have their waste picked up on a two-week rota: week one will be kitchen waste, plastics and black bin bags; week two will be kitchen waste, glass, cans paper, cardboard and garden waste.

The key changes householders will notice are black bin bag collections being fortnightly rather than weekly, and plastics will be picked up from the kerbside.

These changes will affect residents living in Swansea West from September, and residents in the east from April 2011.

Councillor John Hague, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: "We want every resident in Swansea to have access to all the kerbside recycling services on offer.

"Residential flats are not straightforward when it comes to kerbside collections.

"The pilot schemes will help us better understand the practical issues the council will face."