HUNDREDS of people have signed a petition calling for Newport City Council to scrap their new "confusing" recycling system.

The man who started the petition has said that the new red bags, which were introduced this summer and intended for plastics, cans, foils and aerosols, are “completely useless”.

However, Tom Stanger, of Allt-Yr-Yn, who started the petition which now has nearly 250 signatures, said the new system is confusing and could put people off recycling.

He said: “I started the petition following conversations with people - most people I know aren’t happy with the services anymore.

“People don’t want to be confused, they just want to have their rubbish taken away. If they want people to recycle, they need to keep the system simple.”

When launching the new scheme the council also announced that the green bag for cardboard was no longer needed and that the green box would now be used for cardboard, food and drink cartons and glass.

Mr Stanger said: “Two or three different boxes, that’s all we need. The bags are terrible and completely useless."

Paul Symonds, Head of Streetscene and City Services at Newport City Council, said: “The way in which Newport residents recycle their waste, including the various receptacles used, is one of the most cost effective and efficient ways of doing it – and that’s a fact.

“Put simply, the more items that get mixed up before they are collected, the more likely the items are to become damaged or put beyond recyclable use, meaning a waste of time, money and effort for all concerned.

"The method we use in Newport has been chosen as it reduces costs and is more environmentally friendly.

“The Newport recycling system really is quite simple and logical to use.

“If all materials were collected in one container, they would have to be sent off to be sorted which would cost the council an extra £150,000 to £330,000 per year.

“And contaminated waste from comingling which could have been recycled, would be sent to landfill instead which would cost the council £80 – £125 per tonne, or at least £1.4 – £1.8 million per year.”

For more information on where your recycling goes you can visit wastesavers.co.uk

To find out more about recycling in Newport - what goes in each box and your collection days visit newport.gov.uk/recycling

To sign the petition, visit change.org/p/newport-city-council-newport-city-council-to-simplify-recycling-scheme