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News & Media > Environmental Services

30:06:2010

Welsh Assembly Government chooses Bridgend to launch new waste plans

May Gurney and Bridgend Council were proud to host the launch of the Welsh Assembly Government’s new waste strategy.

Working in partnership with Bridgend County Borough Council, May Gurney has recently embarked on a ‘recycling revolution’ with the introduction of a new recycling and waste service for Bridgend residents.

Speaking at the launch of the new Wales’ strategy, Towards Zero Waste, Carwyn Jones, first minister and Jane Davidson, environment minister called on Welsh householders to change their attitudes towards what they throw away.

The typical Welsh household wastes around £50 per month buying food that ends up in the bin, while 90% of everything we buy becomes waste within six months. By tackling these issues, Towards Zero Waste will help Welsh householders see financial and environmental benefits.

Jane Davidson said: “We must change our attitude towards waste because we cannot continue as a ‘throwaway’ society sending our rubbish to landfill.

“Reducing the amount of waste we produce is at the heart of this new strategy. My vision is to see all of us spending less on unwanted food and goods and as a result producing less waste.”

Carwyn Jones added: “We must all make changes. Adopting a more sustainable approach to how we deal with our waste will bring new investment and sustainable jobs to Wales.

“Even more importantly these plans will help us deliver our One Wales One Planet Programme for Government to develop a strong and confident nation: living communities that fully reflect our rich and diverse culture, a fair and just society within a sustainable environment, a healthy future for all, opportunities for learning for life, and underpinned by the creation of a prosperous society.”

Rhona Coulter, mobilisation director at May Gurney, added: "We're very excited to be part of the recycling revolution in Wales. Above all, we're keen to make it easy for residents to recycle more and to extract more value from the materials we collect on behalf of the council.

"This is why we've introduced a new fleet of 20 specially designed recycling trucks to streamline collections in Bridgend, and are re-vamping the transfer station to make the processing of materials more efficient.

“These innovations, together with introduction of new collection services, mean that Bridgend is leading the way in Wales."

Footnote: Bridgend County Borough Council has appointed May Gurney as its waste management contractor under a seven-year deal. The contract, which is estimated to be worth around £75m, includes waste and recycling collections, operation of the waste management and transfer station and running the council's four civic amenity sites.