Recycling Resources

Refuse & the 4 R’s:

REDUCE -> REFILL -> REUSE -> RECYCLE

For years now we’ve been told that so long as you pop your plastic in the recycling it will disappear and get magically turned into something new.

Unfortunately this isn’t the case. At the moment, the UK’s official plastic recycling rate is just 45% per year on average, which means the rest of it is finding its way to landfill, being incinerated, or is popping up in the natural environment. Although Wales is among the best recycling nations in the world, ranking third globally, there is no room for complacency. The Welsh Government requires all 22 local authorities to reuse, recycle or compost 64% of municipal waste, with the target set to increase to 70% by 2024-25. Check out the new My Recycling Wales website to see how much we recycle in Wales and Swansea and find out where our rubbish goes.

Recycling isn’t going to be our saving grace when it comes to plastic pollution, therefore our focus should be on cutting down the source of plastic in our day to day lives, by REDUCING, REFILLING and REUSING where possible, with RECYCLING responsibly as a final option.

Here are some tips and information on what you can do.

1 Reduce

• Try to buy loose fruit and vegetables, avoiding plastic packaging (here’s looking at you plastic covered cucumber, swede and celeriac!) and use paper or reusable mesh bags when buying in bulk.
• Remember mum’s (or grandma’s) shopping basket and shopping bags? You can get quite roomy bags that fold up into their own little pouches – handy to slip into a pocket or handbag so you’re never caught without a bag!
• Take your own containers to the butchers, deli counter or fishmonger and pass them over the counter before you place your order.  
• Ask to skip plastic bags or packaging when ordering a home delivery, if you are doing this online you should be able to add your request to the comments.
• Not all recyclable items are equal! If you need to buy new items try to choose glass over plastic, cardboard packaging over cling film and avoid polystyrene at all costs.
• Shampoo/conditioner and soap bars have come a long way in the past couple of years. Switching from your traditional liquid toiletries to bars not only reduces your plastic use they last a lot longer and save water – have a look at this article for more information.
• Wet wipes, cosmetic and cleaning wipes can’t be recycled -use cloths and wash them.
• Explore alternative options for everyday items – have your milk delivered in glass bottles straight to your door. Stoney Forge Dairy deliver across South Gower three days a week (Sat/Tues/Thurs), you can find them on Facebook or on 07776 186740.

Reduce your own food miles by using local retailers:

• The Village Shop (Scurlage) – If you can’t find what you need, just ask Richard or the team who are always happy to track things down! Tel: 01792 390077.
• Knelston Garage – Tel: 01792 390903.
• Our Van Lynne (Online and Swansea Market Tues – Sat, 10am – 4pm) – You can find Menna and Conor online or at Swansea Market with their great range of zero waste products.
• Shepherds Fruit & Veg (Gorseinon) – Local delivery available Tel: 01792 891700.
• The Choice is Yours Fresh Fruit and Vegetables (Mumbles) – Delivery on a Wednesday to Gower. Tel: 01792 796637.
• Paul Tucker Butchers (Mumbles & Penclawdd) – Delivery and click & collect. www.tuckersbutchers.com Tel: 01792 366500.
• Don’t forget Paviland Farm for its seasonal veg boxes.

2 Refill

• The Health Shop (Mumbles) – Health foods, eco-friendly cleaning products and toiletries. Take along a clean container that has the volume marked on it (e.g. 250ml, 1L). www.healthshopswansea.co.uk Tel: 01792 360299.
• Balance (Sketty) – Big selection of bulk goods – grains, cereals, pasta, herbs & spices, tea & coffee, oils & vinegars, cleaning products and toiletries. www.balancetheworld.co.uk
• Llanmadoc Community Shop – Amazing selection of local goods, community events and specialist recycle schemes. Find them on Facebook. Tel: 01792 386494. Siop.y.bobl@gmail.com.
• Dunvant Farm Shop – A dog friendly shop and café specialising in local goods. Refill your bulk dry goods: cereals, pasta, nuts etc and cleaning products. Find them on Facebook. Tel: 01792 296078.

3 Reuse

• Take your own bags when heading to the shops. Creating your own bags out of old sheets, blankets and clothes is a great way to use textiles which might otherwise be heading for the bin. The leftovers can then be used for cleaning rags and cloths.
• Remember your reusable water bottle and coffee cup when you are out and about – plastic bottles and coffee cups/lids are some of the most frequently found plastic rubbish in our oceans.
• Reusable wax wraps are a great alternative for cling film, a plastic which is almost impossible to recycle or reuse.
• Repurpose glass, plastic and cardboard containers to give them another life (hot tip – the plastic bag from inside the cereal box makes a great freezer bag!).
• Re-use wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue paper and other packaging products to wrap your birthday and Christmas gifts (another hot tip – odd lengths of Christmas material or worn Christmas tablecloths can be turned into fabric bags for family present ‘wrapping’ – so much easier to use year after year!).
• Take your broken or damaged items to one of the Repair Café Wales events and their volunteer repairers will try to fix it, for free, whilst you wait! You can find more information about venues and dates here – www.repaircafewales.org
• Donate items that are still in a good, usable condition to charities or charity shops so they can take on a new lease of life for someone else. There are often organised charity collections in the area, so keep an eye out on the Hwb for more information.
• Buy refurbished items whenever feasible – you can get some good deals.

4 Recycle

An article in the Guardian (February 2023) suggests that we spend too much time thinking about recycling rather than focusing on the other 3 R’s. It also looks at several items which some people get confused about in terms of whether they can be recycled – but local authorities across the UK may have different recycling policies. Local recycling information is below.

Swansea Recycles

https://www.facebook.com/SwanseaRecycles/; www.swansea.gov.uk/recyclingcentres

Swansea Council offers a kerbside bulky waste collection service:

• 1 to 3 items for £20
• 4 to 6 items (maximum) for £40

Items will be recycled whenever possible. More information here

• More information on Rhossili’s roadside recycling and waste collection can be found here – www.swansea.gov.uk/recyclingsearch
• There are several recycling depots in Swansea. The nearest is at Clyne and the most comprehensive is at Llansamlet, where they also have the Tip Treasures shop. Have a look at the (very long) list of what can be recycled at each of the depots across Swansea – you might be surprised at how much can be accepted. Please check what each of them will take and any restrictions before you pay them a visit. You will need to book a slot before visiting Llansamlet but this is very straightforward to do and there is no charge for household recycling.

Terracycle

Terracycle partner with businesses, schools, charities and individuals to collect items which take too much energy or resources to recycle in small amounts. Terracycle gives “reward points” in exchange for each item which schools and charities can redeem for rewards. You can order one of their zero waste boxes for home (including coffee pods, plastic packaging, toothpaste tubes etc), or you can use these local drop off points:

• Knelston School – Bread bags and crisp packets
• Pitton Cross Caravan Park – bread bags – also distributes recycling bags
• Swansea University, Singleton Park – writing instruments and snack packaging
• Newbury Pharmacy, Mumbles – beauty, skincare and body care packaging
• Llanmadoc Community Shop (additional drop off point at Waunarlwydd Community Centre) – cheese packaging, toothbrushes and toothpaste, sweet wrappers, toys and games, snack packaging, beauty, skincare and body care packaging, washing up gloves, laundry/cleaning products and bread bags.
• St. David’s Primary School, West Cross – cheese packaging, toothbrushes and toothpaste, sweet wrappers, toys and games, snack packaging, beauty, skincare and body care packaging, disposable gloves, Sistema food storage containers and bread bags.

To find more drop off points, contact details and what each point accepts you can search here: www.terracycle.com/en-GB/about-terracycle/drop_off_locations

Larger supermarkets

All 4 large Tesco supermarkets in Swansea allow customers to return all their previously unrecycled soft plastic, such as the clear film used to wrap meat and fish, crisp packets, fruit and veg bags, pet food pouches and sweet wrappers, regardless of where they were bought. Other recycling facilities are available in store (batteries) and in the car parks. Other supermarkets also provide recycling facilities – check out your ‘go to’ store and let us know!

There are also other ‘random’ recycling facilities – such as the Clothes Bank at Reynoldston Fire Station, which takes clothes, shoes and bags to raise money for the Fire Fighters charity.

Lesley-Anne Nolan