Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is launching its new Keep it TIDY RCT campaign, a major initiative aimed at tackling waste crime – from littering, dog fouling, fly-tipping and other environmental issues that affect local communities.
The campaign will encourage everyone to take pride in where they live, celebrate the positive actions of responsible residents and reinforce the message that keeping Rhondda Cynon Taf clean and tidy is a shared responsibility.
As part of the campaign, public litter bins across the County Borough will soon be fitted with new stickers and identification numbers to help residents report bins that are full, damaged or vandalised more quickly.
The stickers will also highlight that public litter bins are for on-the-go waste only and that leaving bags of rubbish beside them is fly-tipping.
To further support clean and TIDY communities, Cabinet has also allocated £25,000 for Streetcare improvements, specifically ring-fenced for additional on-street bins across the County Borough. The funding is part of the Council's wider £12 million investment in priority services and local improvements for 2026/27, over and above the substantial capital programme already being delivered this year.
The launch comes as Rhondda Cynon Taf celebrates another successful year of recycling, with residents helping the Council exceed the Welsh Government's 70% recycling target. During the last year, there was a 21% increase in food waste recycled, an 11% increase in dry recycling and a 33% reduction in black bag waste collected.
Recycling in RCT couldn't be easier. The Council provides residents with a free and convenient recycling service, including weekly clear bag recycling collections, weekly food waste collections, weekly green waste collections and weekly nappy collections.
These figures demonstrate that the overwhelming majority of residents are doing the right thing and making full use of all the services available.
Unfortunately, a small minority continue to place household rubbish into public litter bins or leave bags of waste alongside them when bins become full. This misuse quickly fills bins that are intended for drinks cans, sandwich wrappers, crisp packets and other small items of litter generated while people are out and about. Once bins are full, more waste is often left next to them, creating unsightly fly-tipping and litter hotspots in local communities. Public litter bins are not designed to accommodate household waste and should never be used as an alternative to household recycling and waste collections.
Councillor Louisa Addicott, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council's Cabinet Member for Environment and Capital Infrastructure, said:
"MOST residents across Rhondda Cynon Taf are proud of where they live and always do all that they can to keep our beautiful County Borough TIDY! Residents have already helped us exceed the Welsh Government's recycling target and are recycling more food waste and dry recycling than ever before.
“Unfortunately, a small minority are still treating public litter bins as household waste bins, fly-tipping waste that could be taken to a Community Recycling Centre or not cleaning up after their dogs – all these things blight out community and make it unsightly for the majority. As a Council we have a strong track record of taking action against environmental crime and will continue to investigate incidents and issue Fixed Penalty Notices where appropriate.
“Public litter bins are there for on-the-go litter. They are not intended for black bags, household rubbish or food waste. When household waste is placed in them, bins quickly overflow, creating litter and fly-tipping problems for local communities. Through this new Keep it TIDY RCT campaign we're asking everybody to play their part. Whether it's recycling correctly, cleaning up after your dog, reporting fly-tipping, putting litter in the bin or helping us report full or damaged bins, we can all make a difference.
If a bin is full, you will soon be able to report it using the new bin number. Please don't leave rubbish beside it. Together we can keep our streets, parks and communities clean and TIDY!"
As part of the campaign, each litter bin will now display a unique identification number to help the Council respond more quickly to reports. Residents spotting a full, damaged or vandalised bin can quote the number when contacting the Council, helping officers identify and resolve issues faster.
The Council is encouraging residents to:
- Use public litter bins correctly for on-the-go waste.
- Recycle household waste through the Council's free weekly collection services.
- Clean up after their dogs and dispose of waste responsibly.
- Report full, damaged or vandalised litter bins.
- Never leave bags of rubbish beside public bins.
- Report fly-tipping and environmental crime when they see it.
- Take pride in their community and help Keep RCT TIDY.
The message is simple:
Let's Keep it TIDY RCT.
For more information on the campaign visit www.rctcbc.gov.uk/KeepItTIDYRCT or follow RCT Council on Facebook and Instagram.
Posted on 30/09/2026