NEW measures to improve Monmouthshire’s recycling rate will need to be considered in the near future as it bids to keep pace with government targets, council bosses have said.

Figures indicate the county’s recycling rate is in the bottom quartile of Welsh authorities for the first time ever, after other councils introduced policies to boost their own figures.

Newport council has introduced smaller bins, black bag sorting has been brought in at waste centres in Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent, while Powys has moved to three weekly waste collections.

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Monmouthshire council has introduced resident permits and day closures across its four Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC), but, despite this, the authority has been leapfrogged by others in recycling league tables.

Carl Touhig, Monmouthshire’s head of waste and street services, told the council’s strong communities select committee on Tuesday that further interventions will soon need to be introduced.

“These are the issues we have got to face going forward now,” Mr Touhig said.

“What is the next intervention that we are willing to take in waste to reduce the amount of black bag waste and increase recycling.”

Black bag sorting across all HWRCs, or introducing recycling only at one or two of the sites are among measures which could be considered.

But Mr Touhig said the authority hoped to avoid fining people found to have recycling in their general waste, as has been introduced by some councils, saying Monmouthshire hoped to make “less drastic” changes.

Cllr Roger Harris asked how close the authority was to considering using the Usk and Mitchel Troy centres for recycling only, as opposed to black bag waste.

However Mr Touhig said councillors could expect some “unhappy residents” if the authority stopped accepting black bag waste.

The Usk site has the lowest recycling rate, at 45 per cent, compared to the other three waste centres in the county.

Council bosses say it would take a “mammoth task” for the site to hit the Welsh Government target of 70 per cent by 2024/25.

A report says meeting the 64 per cent recycling target in Monmouthshire this year will be “very challenging.”

Cllr Val Smith said it is an “opportune time” to consider future provision at the Usk HWRC, at the same time as plans are drawn up to “revitalise” the town.

The committee agreed to ask the ruling cabinet to review recycling facilities, “looking closely at the Mitchell Troy and Usk” centres with a view to improving rates.

It also suggested exploring whether the two sites could be relocated, with the possibility they could be replaced with a bigger HWRC at a new location.