This Food Waste Action Week (9th -15th March) Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is asking residents to ‘Be Mighty, Recycle!’ and “Make Your Food Go Further – for your pocket, for our planet”
By looking at what we buy and only buying the exact amount that you need you can save money, time, packaging and the planet. Mighty actions, however small, can make a big difference! By working together, it soon adds up if you multiply each small action by 66 million people living in the UK.
The average 4-person household in Wales throws away £84 worth of edible food a month, despite 77% of people citing the cost of food as a big concern.
Food waste remains the most under-recycled material in Wales, but with weekly, kerbside, food waste recycling available to every household in Rhondda Cynon Taf, and in workplaces and public spaces, everyone has the opportunity to recycle their food waste, wherever they are.
Thanks to the Council’s food waste recycling scheme and the separate food waste caddies, it’s clear to see just how much food we throw away every day. By keeping check on the amount of food we waste, you can think about portion sizes and the weekly shopping list and cut down on the food you buy.
It’s estimated that 25% of the average rubbish bag or bin in Wales is made up of food and most of this could have been eaten.
In 2022 a WRAP black bag analysis in Rhondda Cynon Taf found that 39% of all black bag waste was made up of food waste – in December 2025 we are delighted to say that this has gone down, and food waste now only accounts for over 20% of what is collected monthly in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
Even though we are getting better in RCT at recycling our food waste, the real goal is to ensure that there is no food wasted in the beginning and it shouldn’t be put in our Black Bag waste. Some inedible items, like turkey carcases, t-bags and eggshells are unavoidable and will need to go into your food waste caddy to be recycled. However, by planning your meals ahead and only cooking what you need or freezing your leftovers/uneaten foods, you can ensure that less food is wasted in the first place.
Councillor Ann Crimmings, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council's Cabinet Member for Environmental Services said:
“The latest figures show that more residents than ever before are joining the food waste recycling scheme!
“This year in RCT, we are proud to say that we smashed the 70% Welsh Government target for 2024/25 and there has been a 21% increase in food waste recycled and a 33% decrease in black bag waste collected, along with an 11% increase in dry recycling!
“Back in 2022 households were only recycling 0.6kg per week and in 2025 they are now recycling 2.5kg per household per week – that’s almost 5 times more food waste being recycled by every household instead of going into their black bags
“We are delighted that so many people are seeing just how easy it is to recycle their food waste. With the majority of RCT residents now saying that they are recycling their leftovers and we can see this in the increase in figures - on average over 15,000 tonnes of food waste is collected and recycled in RCT EVERY year (up from 11,000 tonnes) - which when converted into energy at the food waste recycling plant, BIOGEN in Bryn Pica, Llwydcoed, generates enough energy to power over 1500 homes.
“We are committed to doing all we can to recycle as much as possible and will continue to invest for the future to ensure we have high-quality vehicles and easy-to-use facilities that people rely upon to recycle.
“We want to succeed in partnership with our communities, which is why we provide an effective weekly kerbside recycling and food waste collection scheme, as well as community facilities and ongoing education and awareness raising on the subject.”
But there is still more we can do – simple things like buying loose fruit and vegetables could save 8.2M shopping baskets of food waste per year, it will also save packaging and help you to focus on buying the exact amount that you need, saving pennies and the planet.
Wales Recycles have some great recipe ideas - https://www.walesrecycles.org.uk/six-mighty-dishes and are supporters of Love Food Hate Waste - https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com.
If you’re not already signed up, you can find more information at www.rctcbc.gov.uk/foodwaste.
For more information about the Council’s Food Waste recycling scheme and to order a food waste caddy visit www.rctcbc.gov.uk/foodwaste
For more tips and advice visit https://lovefoodhatewaste.com
Posted on 09/03/2026