8. Statement by the Minister for Environment: Recycling in Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 7:05 pm on 27 February 2018.

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Photo of Hannah Blythyn Hannah Blythyn Labour 7:05, 27 February 2018

I thank the Member for her comment. As you mentioned, you missed the visit to Merthyr yesterday. I certainly found it a very interesting visit and it's good to see how they've built on their success following the funding and increased the recycling rates in Merthyr. They'd not only improved their recycling rates but they'd actually helped reduce their costs as well, so having added invest-to-save benefits for the local authority. You said you'd love to go down and see what a bailer actually does—they have invited me to go back, you're very welcome to join me, but I think the next visit includes me actually having to go out with the recycling teams on collections to see how that's working with the public. [Interruption.] The Member just said to go down her street. 

The point she made in terms of the plastics we're not currently recycling—it's really, really key to look at how we could expand what we do on that. Also in terms of—it's been mentioned here before—China buying exports and the solution is not necessarily to export to other markets. The solution should be to actually see how we can invest that as part of our circular economy, which not only brings environmental value but also brings economic value in terms of job creation and working with plastic supply chains.

You're absolutely right, there are some companies out there, and in Wales, who are doing innovative things already. That's why it's so important, the work that we're doing, to bring industries and stakeholders together. And our plastic route-map is so important, so that we can approach that as a whole to make sure we get solutions that work for the long term into the future.