7. How does the Welsh Government support recycling and reuse enterprises in Wales? OAQ53456

Reuse plays an important role in achieving our zero-waste ambitions, with the potential to save hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste between now and our 2050 zero-waste target. In November, I announced an additional £5.4 million across eight new projects to improve reuse and recycling levels across Wales.

Thank you, Deputy Minister. I recently visited Reseiclo in Newport, a social enterprise that won the environmental award in last year’s Social Business Awards. Reseiclo was established 13 years ago in Crindau, and aims to save as much wood waste from being sent to landfill as possible. They collect wood mostly from construction sites in south-east Wales, sell the items in the best possible condition at low cost and make a wide variety of items from reclaimed wood. The seven employees work with volunteers and adults with learning disabilities to upcycle the wood, and the business survives entirely on the fees charged for collection services and sales. So, with an estimated 5 million tonnes of wood waste generated in the UK each year, what support can Welsh Government give to support enterprises like Reseiclo to achieve their ambition, and perhaps the Deputy Minister will join me in visiting Reseiclo to see the excellent work that they've done over many years?

I thank the Member for that and for highlighting the excellent work that Reseiclo does. In my previous role as Minister for the Environment, and still with having responsibility for this, I've visited a number of re-use centres: FRAME in Pembrokeshire, Crest Co-operative in north Wales and also most recently The Shed in Llantrisant. So, I'd be more than happy to join you on a visit and to congratulate Reseiclo on their award in person. We talk about the way that, actually, these centres are not only providing environmental benefits but, as social enterprises, they're bringing much more broader benefits to the people who have an opportunity to get involved, and I've heard so many stories of volunteers who have then gone on to learn skills and to actually have employment there as well, so they are not just to the benefit of the environment but change people's lives. That's why Welsh Government is committed to further investing in supporting initiatives such as these. As you mentioned, there's question of whether you upscale and use reclaimed woods—and we know that wood can be a particularly hard thing to recycle because of the chemicals often used on it, so it's really good that they are taking this and creating such a successful initiative, and I'd be more than happy to come and visit.