THERE has been outrage in Blaenau Gwent after a photo emerged on Facebook seemingly showing recyclables being mixed together.

The photo, allegedly of the council’s recycling depot, was posted on the Facebook group, Abertillery Past and Present.

Blaenau Gwent residents divide recyclables into two separate bags: contaminated recyclables, including cans, glass, bottles, and juice cartons, which are put in blue bags; and non-contaminated recyclables, including paper and cardboard, which are put in clear bags.

The council collects these bags together, but they are then unloaded and separated again once they reach the depot.

Mark Edwards, former councillor for Cwmtillery between 2008-2012, saw the photo on the Facebook group and said he was not surprised by it.

He said: “People have been appalled by it all on the Abertillery Past and Present group.

“The people of Blaenau Gwent are easygoing and compliant: if they’re told to do something, they’ll do the right thing – whether it’s recycling targets or whatever else. But they’ve been doing something that they didn’t actually need to do.

“It’s not politically motivated on my part: I’m out of politics now. It’s laziness on the administration’s part and I’m not surprised.

“It’s wasting people’s time and everyone has enough to do as it is.”

One comment on the Abertillery Past and Present group, said: “Why should I waste my time putting things in different bags when they go in the same lorry?”

Another read: “Wouldn’t it be cheaper to give somebody the job of separating the recycling in house. They have enough buildings to use.”

A spokeswoman for Blaenau Gwent said: “Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council operates a co-mingled recycling collection where all recyclables are put into one compartment on the lorry before being taken to a materials recovery facility (MRF) and sorted.

“To get the best quality paper, it needs to be kept as dry as possible, for as long as possible.

“If we asked residents to put their paper with cans, tins and glass bottles it increases the risk of the paper and card being contaminated by liquid and food.

“At the MRF, all the mixed recycling is sorted and separated into different types of materials by hand or machine (or both) before being sent to manufacturers who make it into new products.”