A pilot project in Powys which has helped two communities reach national recycling targets ahead of schedule will be extended across the county.

Presteigne and Norton have managed to recycle 75 per cent of municipal rubbish and have been a part of the Zero Waste Wales scheme ever since April 2010. Lessons already learned will be used to create a Newtown hub for businesses that wish to either recycle or re-use materials.

The Welsh government expects its native Wales to recycle at least 70% of its waste, with the zero waste scheme’s aim being to reduce refuse amounts that communities send to landfill down to a complete minimum.  Cwm Harry Land Trust runs oversees the scheme’s progress in Powys and has thus far received £682,621 from Wales’ government, which will go towards the construction of the mentioned new hub. A proportion of money collected will also be used for the extension of Presteigne and Norton’s pilot project and to guarantee that it continues for at least another year.

Adam Kennerley, Cwm Harry’s chief executive, commented that her organisation looks forward to working alongside Powys County Council while creating new jobs and helping to make the essential moves needed to move towards a circular economy. Since April of 2010, Cwm Harry collected refuse from at least 250 households situated in the small town of Presteigne and the nearby village of Norton on a daily basis.