ONLY two black bin bags will be collected from each Vale of Glamorgan household per fortnight from September.

Vale of Glamorgan Council’s cabinet has approved plans for changes to its rubbish and recycling collections following a public consultation.

Along with the two black bags limit, from September visitors to the Vale’s tips will have to prove they live in the area and they have sorted their recyclables from non-recyclables before using them.

Residents will be asked to recycle metal and plastics, paper, cardboard and glass separately in a scheme to be rolled out over the next two years.

Here is all you need to know about the changes.

What’s changing?

Black bags

From September this year, households will only be able to put out a maximum of two black bags every fortnight for collection.

And it will only be black bags of a standard size that will be collected. If homes put out more than three black bags, they will not be collected and enforcement action may be taken by the council.

Stickers reminding residents of the new limit would be slapped on black bags if residents put more than two out for collection.

The changes would not apply to the Christmas and New Year period. There will be no limit to recycling collections.

Currently the average number of black bags collected across the Vale of Glamorgan is three per household – but 60 per cent of this waste can be recycled, the council says.

Councillor Geoff Cox, cabinet member for neighbourhood services and transport, told today’s meeting the Vale of Glamorgan is “not a wheel bin collection authority,” but admitted many are still being used in the area.

He said black bins bags would still be removed from wheel bins for the time being.

“This may change in future, however, when we have had more time to consider the matter,” he said.

The council has also been given a target by the Welsh Government to recycle 70 per cent of its waste by 2024/25. The current recycling rate in the Vale is 64 per cent.

Recycling

A new kerbside separated recycling service will be rolled out across the Vale.

It means paper, glass and cardboard would be collected separately, and there would be a mixed container for metals and plastics.

The consultation found many people wished to retain their green boxes and blue bags.

Councillor Cox said all these containers would remain, with the addition of one box that can be compartmentalised for different types of recycling.

This is when the new recycling service will be rolled out:

• Western Vale area eg. Cowbridge, Rhoose, Llantwit Major – April 1, 2019

• Barry – September 1, 2019

• Penarth – April 1, 2020

Free waste bags and caddies

The council today agreed to remove all charges for food waste bags and caddies, and dry recyclable boxes and bags.

Free food waste bags have been provided to residents every year, but they were limited to three rolls per household. The council has agreed to remove this cap.

The consultation also found many Vale residents found the cost of the containers to be a barrier to recycling.

Household recycling centres

From September, people will be encouraged to sort their recyclable from non-recyclable waste at home before they go to household recycling centres.

Bags that are brought to the centres would have to be opened to show staff there is no recycling.

If black bags to contain recycling, residents would have to sort them on site or return home to do this.

People visiting household recycling centres would also have to prove they live in the Vale of Glamorgan – for example using a utility bill or driving licence – before they can use them.