Grangetown residents say 'rubbish is piling up for weeks' after new recycling scheme

An unsightly mass of bin bags - mostly green recycling bags - was seen in a courtyard in the Channel View estate in Grangetown. Credit: Media Wales

Piles of dumped rubbish bags have been clogging up footpaths in a Cardiff suburb for weeks as locals grapple with a new recycling scheme.

An unsightly mass of bin bags - mostly green recycling bags - was seen in a courtyard in the Channel View estate in Grangetown.Residents say the rubbish has been piling up for three weeks since Cardiff Council implemented a new segregated recycling scheme on 20 February.

The scheme has swapped green recycling bags for two sacks and a caddy. The idea is that residents separate recyclable items at home before putting them out for curbside collection.

Residents say the rubbish has been piling up for more than three weeks ever since Cardiff Council implemented the scheme on February 20. Credit: Media Wales

The council said that once separate collections start for properties, it will no longer collect green recycling bags and "they will not be available from stockists".

Grangetown is one of 10 wards where the new method has recently been introduced. Local councillors said they have already noticed that "the quality of our recycling is improving and our streets are getting cleaner" following the implementation.

Flats are not part of the new scheme, so it isn't unusual for tenants in the flats in the Channel View estate to leave their green bags for collection in the courtyard in question.

But the number of bags dumped there recently has prompted suspicion from some residents that their neighbours are not following the new scheme, but instead continuing to use the old green bin bags and fly-tipping them in the courtyard, where they have remained uncollected for weeks.

The courtyard area is notorious for being a fly-tipping spot in Grangetown. Credit: Media Wales

Cardiff Council said the issue "warrants further investigation" and warned enforcement action will be taken if any of the green bags have been dumped by people who do not live in the flats.

Residents said the courtyard area is notorious for being a fly-tipping hotspot, but it has become worse than ever, with masses of household rubbish now causing a mess.

Mehret Habtom, 38, said whilst she had started using the new bins, "some people didn’t respond [to the change]."

Mehret said: "[The rubbish] has been there for three weeks since they started [introducing the new bins. Before some people [fly-tipped], but it wasn’t as much as this time.

"I’m scared about rats. I’ve seen birds breaking the bags. I don’t like to see it like that. I don’t know why the council hasn’t picked up the rubbish. Now we can’t walk down there. I’m scared for people who cycle along there.

The situation in Channel View is at odds with improvements seen in other areas of Grangetown since the scheme was introduced. Credit: Media Wales

"I know what my responsibility is. But maybe some families don’t understand what the instructions are, some people don’t read - maybe it’s a problem like that. Myself, my kids and my friends have read the instructions and have responded.”

The new recycling scheme was introduced to 37,000 properties across the city, with the council carrying out targeted communications to the areas affected: Grangetown, Ely, Gabalfa, Heath West, Llandaff, Pentwyn, Pentyrch, Rhiwbina, Splott, and Trowbridge.

Residents were issued with a new blue caddy for glass bottles and jars; a red sack for metals, plastics and food and drink cartons; and a reusable blue sack for cardboard and paper.

The situation in Channel View is at odds with improvements seen in other areas of Grangetown since the scheme was introduced, with one resident reporting that "the difference to the cleanliness of the streets since it started is absolutely staggering".

The resident said: "I used to absolutely dread walking my dog after bin day. The green bags were dreadful for either blowing open, or getting torn apart by seagulls. The litter would remain for weeks. I regularly litter pick my street and I suspected the vast majority of litter I collected wasn't dropped by residents, but had come from their bins. This does not appear to be a problem now.

"I walked around this morning and the streets were almost completely spotless with barely a single piece of litter to be seen anywhere. I cannot believe what a difference it's made."

In response to the piles of rubbish in Channel View, Grangetown councillors Ash Lister and Sara Robinson (both Lab), said: “It’s disappointing to see that some residents continue to disregard our community and their neighbours by fly-tipping their rubbish in this way.

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"We recognise that, as with any new system, there have been challenges as residents and teams get used to the new way of separating their household waste. But it’s been great to hear the feedback from residents about gradual improvements over the last few weeks."

A spokesperson for Cardiff Council said: "The council is sending enforcement officers to the area to check these green bags to see if they have been dumped by people who do not live in the flats. If this is the case, and we find evidence, then enforcement action will be taken.

"Flats are currently not part of the new sack sort recycling scheme so we would expect to see recyclables waiting for collection in green bags in this area. However, this amount, and resident concerns warrants further investigation.

“The misrepresentation of waste and fly-tipping is an offence - it damages the environment and costs the taxpayer a significant amount of money each year to clear."

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