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Back at the end of August, the Welsh government minister for natural resources and food, Alun Davies, announced preliminary figures that showed local authorities in Wales had, in the first three months of 2013, recycled 50% of all waste produced. These figures go on to suggest that by the end of the year, Wales will have successfully reached its annual target of recycling 52% of waste, which will in turn see them become the first country in the UK to recycle more than half of all waste that is produced.

The aim is for Wales to become a zero-waste nation by 2050, with the next goal to be achieved en-route to this being a 58% recycling rate in 2015/16. The success in relation to this year’s target has provided the perfect foundation from which to continue improving, with Mr Davies highlighting how well the whole country had done by saying: “This is a real achievement and one that was born of hard work by local authorities and householder’s right across Wales. It means that Wales continues to be the top recycling nation in the UK by some distance and we should all take pride in this.

“As a government we will continue work with all local authorities in Wales to ensure their recycling rates keep on getting better.”

In relation to recent figures released from other countries in the UK, Wales is well ahead on the recycling rate front, with the England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all lagging behind. In 2012, figures showed that England recycled or reused 43.6% of household waste, which was only a 0.6% rise on the year previous. The amount of waste going to landfill is still a concern too, with two million tonnes of waste managed by local authorities being deposited in landfill sites between October and December alone.

Northern Ireland has an aim of recycling 40% of waste by 2015, with figures showing that between 2011 and 2012, 38% of all waste was recycled or reused, which suggests they are on the right track, yet are still some way behind Wales. Scotland has the goal of recycling 70% of waste produced by 2025, with the most recent figures showing that local authorities had achieved a 38% recycling rate in 2010/11.

Here at Unisan, we are delighted that Wales is set to become the first in the UK to recycle more than half of all waste, however we are determined to help ensure recycling rates continue to improve in Wales and across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland too. With a range of recycling solutions, including recycling bins, for both indoor and outdoor use, litter picking equipment and much more, we can help your business play its part in your country’s efforts to improve the levels of waste recycled.

Recycling in Wales is changing. Is your business ready for the new regulations?

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