A HUGE thank you is being given to Rhondda Cynon Taf residents for their outstanding recycling efforts as the County Borough joins the UK's biggest celebration of recycling.
Recycle Week 2026, is taking place from 14-20 September and the annual campaign encourages everyone to recycle more of the right things, more often, and to rescue recyclable items from ending up in their black bag waste
This year, residents in Rhondda Cynon Taf have even more reasons to celebrate – As over the last six months, households across the County Borough have recycled more than *74% of their waste, continuing RCT's position as one of the highest-performing recycling authorities in Wales and the UK.
The successful year of recycling has also seen residents not only helping the Council to exceed the Welsh Government's 70% recycling target but also increase its food waste recycling by 21% and its dry recycling by 11% - to top this off there has also been a 33% reduction in the amount of black bag waste collected.
The national Recycle Week campaign, led by WRAP's Recycle Now initiative, focuses on helping people recycle more of the right things by highlighting everyday items that can often be mistakenly thrown away. This year's campaign continues the popular "Rescue Me, Recycle!" theme, encouraging residents to think twice before putting recyclable materials into their black bags.
At the same time, Wales' Be Mighty. Recycle. campaign is taking recycling messages beyond the home, encouraging people to make the right recycling choices wherever they are, including in workplaces, schools and public spaces. The campaign aims to help Wales continue its journey from being one of the world's best recycling nations to reaching the number one spot.
Thanks to the commitment of residents and the Council's seriously EASY recycling services, recycling in RCT has never been easier. Weekly recycling collections, food waste collections, nappy collections and Community Recycling Centres all help residents reduce waste.
While RCT's recycling performance continues to improve, there are still opportunities to recycle even more. Food waste remains one of the biggest items that can still be found in residual waste, despite the fact that all households have access to a weekly food waste recycling service. Items such as fruit and vegetable peelings, tea bags, egg shells and leftover food can all be recycled through the food waste service and turned into renewable energy.
Residents are also being reminded to avoid contamination by ensuring recyclable items are empty, clean and dry before placing them in their recycling bags. A single contaminated item can affect an entire lorry load of collection and reduce the quality of recycled materials.
Not everything can be collected at the kerbside, but there are plenty of recycling and reuse options available across Rhondda Cynon Taf:
- Community Recycling Centres open seven days a week.
- Small electrical recycling points at participating Leisure for Life centres.
- Three "The Shed" reuse shops, helping unwanted items find a new home.
- Local supermarket collection points for soft plastics, carrier bags and batteries.
Councillor Ann Crimmings, Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, with responsibility for Waste & Recycling, said:
"I would like to thank residents across Rhondda Cynon Taf for their fantastic recycling efforts. Recycling more than 74% of household waste over the past six months is an incredible achievement and demonstrates just how committed our communities are to protecting the environment.
"Recycle Week is a great opportunity for us all to think about the items we sometimes overlook. Every bottle, can, carton, food tin or food scrap that is recycled instead of being thrown away makes a difference.
"We're proud that recycling in RCT is simple, free and accessible, with weekly recycling and food waste collections, Community Recycling Centres and a range of reuse opportunities available across the County Borough. Together, we can continue to improve our recycling performance, reduce waste and help keep Rhondda Cynon Taf clean and green for future generations."
Residents can find out more about recycling at www.rctcbc.gov.uk/recycling.
For more information about Recycle Week 2026 and the national campaign visit WRAP's Recycle Now website.
Posted on 14/09/2026