RESIDENTS in Rogerstone are set to trial a new recycling system in a bid to increase recycling rates.

The Trolibocs will be trialled in around 600 homes in Rogerstone, Cllr Deb Davies, cabinet member for street scene and city services, said at today's cabinet meeting. The Trolibocs is a stack of three recycling boxes on a wheeled trolley unit.

The top box is for paper, the middle box is for household metal or plastic packaging like cans, foil, bottles and punnets, and the bottom box is for glass and cardboard. The Trolibocs has been introduced in Blaenau Gwent and has been successful in Conwy.

Wastesavers, who are conducting the trial in Rogerstone, say it is in the early stages at the moment. They said they are still deciding on which area the trial will take place.

A Wastesavers spokesman said they will be engaging with residents in the next month which will include handing out leaflets and door knocking.

The trial has been funded by the Welsh Government whose current waste strategy “Towards Zero Waste” has set a target of 70 per cent recycling/composting of municipal waste by 2024 to 2025.

The Welsh Government has warned if councils do not meet targets they could be liable to pay fines. Provisional data released last month showed the recycling rate for Newport is 52 per cent from April 2014 to March 2015 which is the Welsh Government target for this period.

But councils will have to reach a recycling rate of 58 per cent by March 2016. Cllr Bob Bright, leader of the council, said: "If we've got to hit 70 per cent recycling rates then personally we have to look at our recycling boxes - the lids blow around in the wind which is a big problem."

Cllr Ray Truman, deputy leader, said: "It is in everybody's interest to increase recycling. It affects all of us - our children and their children."

Cllr Bob Poole, member for regulatory functions, said the council would be taking action on 'unscrupulous' landlords who dump old furniture onto the street which costs the council to clean up.