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CARMARTHENSHIRE: Blue bags scrapped for a third of homes — and everyone’s collection day could change

Blue bags are on the way out for around a third of homes in Carmarthenshire, replaced by a set of reusable colour-coded sacks that residents will sort their recycling into themselves.

Carmarthenshire Council says the switch — which it is calling Separated Recycling — starts in mid-to-late autumn, with homes in the west of the county going first.

The other two thirds keep their blue bags and the current mixed service until a second phase, which the council has not dated.

Nobody in the county escapes the reshuffle

But nobody in the county is untouched. Collection days for food waste, recycling, glass and black bags may change for every home, whether the service is changing or not.

The council says it reviewed its rounds at the same time as bringing in the new vehicles, so it only had to redraw them once. Among the factors it weighed, it says, were new housing, road changes, environmental law, carbon emissions — and pressure on its own budget.

Every household will get a letter over the summer confirming which group it is in, and a second in September confirming collection days with a calendar. A postcode checker is already live on the council’s website.

Five sacks — and a bag that goes inside one of them

Homes moving to the new service get a red sack for metals, plastics and cartons, an orange sack for cardboard, a blue sack for paper, a roll of red bags for plastic film and wrapping, and a small white sack for household batteries.

The new containers: a red sack for metals, plastics and cartons, a blue sack for paper, an orange sack for cardboard, a roll of red bags for film and wrapping, and a small white sack for batteries. Image credit: Carmarthenshire Council

The red bags go inside the red sack, tied shut, rather than out on their own.

Plastic bags, wrapping and household batteries have not been collected from the kerbside before. Until the switch, residents are told to keep taking film to supermarket collection points, or bin it if they cannot.

Glass is the quiet winner

There is a gain buried in the detail. For homes moving to the new service, glass bottles and jars in the black box go from a three-weekly collection to a weekly one.

Food waste and recycling stay weekly. Black bags stay at up to three every three weeks. Garden waste, nappy and hygiene collections, bulky waste and the council’s Canolfan Eto reuse project are all unchanged.

The sacks land in August

The sacks and a year’s supply of food waste caddy liners will be delivered across several weeks in August and September, with an online delivery tracker going live on Monday 7 September.

The council suggests writing your address on the sacks in permanent marker so you can spot yours after collection — and passing spare blue bags to friends or family elsewhere in the county who are still on the old service.

Residents who need help carrying containers out can apply for assisted collections, and anyone already on that service keeps it automatically.

The pizza box problem

The council has published a full breakdown of what goes in each sack, and some of it runs against instinct.

Brown envelopes and brown paper go in the orange cardboard sack — not the blue paper sack with the rest of your post.

Wrapping paper is not recycled at all. Nor is any cardboard stained with food, oil or grease, which rules out most pizza boxes. Both go in black bags.

Yoghurt and cream pots go in the red sack. Their foil lids do not — they go in the black bag.

Shredded paper is only accepted in small amounts, and only inside a paper bag or envelope.

Polystyrene, fruit and veg netting, blister packs, plastic straws and disposable cutlery are all black-bag items. Hard plastics — garden chairs, plant pots, kitchen bins, Tupperware — have to go to a recycling centre.

The small white sack is for household batteries only: AAA, AA, C, D and 9V.

Vapes and e-cigarettes are barred from it, as are car batteries, chargers, watch and key-fob coin cells, and the rechargeable packs from laptops and power tools. All of those must go to a recycling centre.

Broken glass stays out of the black box. The council asks residents to wrap it in newspaper or double-bag it before it goes in a black bag, so crews are not cut.

Carmarthenshire is 19th in the queue

The change is driven by the Welsh Government‘s Collections Blueprint, the national template for kerbside sorting. The council says Carmarthenshire will be the 19th of Wales’ 22 local authorities to make the move — a system first introduced in Wales in the early 2000s.

It says councils can be fined for missing Welsh Government recycling targets, and that those costs can land on council taxpayers.

It also says the first phase deliberately starts in areas that are simpler to collect from, with fewer property types, and that phasing gives its depots time to build capacity.

Residents were last consulted on the changes in 2021, through a countywide survey.

Swansea and Neath Port Talbot got there first

Neighbouring authorities are further down the road. Swansea households were told in January to expect their own container overhaul.

Neath Port Talbot simplified its system in 2025. It is also putting the UK’s first all-electric bin lorry fleet on the road this summer.

Swansea hit a 72% recycling rate earlier this year and was named the best-performing city in Wales. That came as the country pushed its national record higher.

On black bags, Carmarthenshire is already where the Welsh Government wants councils to be — a three-weekly collection Swansea’s leader publicly refused to adopt last summer.

‘No need to take any action’

Cabinet member for transport, waste and infrastructure services Cllr Edward Thomas said sorting at the kerbside would improve the quality of the material collected.

“We are introducing the changes in phases to make sure the transition is as smooth as possible,” he said. “There is no need to take any action at this stage — we will contact every home directly with everything they need to know.”

Residents can sign up for free email or text collection reminders through the council’s My Hwb account, whichever service they are on.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Swansea households set for major recycling shake-up as council plans new containers and free garden waste sacks
Swansea’s own container overhaul, with charges scrapped for garden waste sacks.

Swansea named Wales’ top-performing city for recycling as households hit 72% rate
New Welsh Government figures put Swansea ahead of every other city in Wales.

Neath Port Talbot residents to see changes to recycling collections as council simplifies system
Cardboard and paper together in white bags as NPT streamlines its kerbside service.

Council rejects Welsh Government’s call for collecting black bag waste every 3 or 4 weeks
Swansea’s leader refused to move to the three-weekly collection Carmarthenshire already runs.

Neath Port Talbot to become UK’s first council with a fully electric bin lorry fleet
The first of the all-electric vehicles arrive this summer.

#blueBags #Carmarthenshire #CarmarthenshireCouncil #CllrEdwardThomas #featured #foodWaste #Recycling #wasteCollection #WelshGovernment

New images reveal detail of Llanelli’s proposed transport hub as plans formally submitted

A greener, safer gateway

The full planning application, prepared by AtkinsRéalis, sets out how the southern side of the station would be transformed into a modern transport hub. The latest drawings show two new bus stops with cantilevered shelters topped by green roofs, real‑time passenger information boards, and a redesigned car park with 40 spaces, including bays for disabled users, motorbikes and electric vehicles.

A new 2‑metre wide footway would run through the site, linking Copperworks Road and Station Road, while a series of raised and uncontrolled pedestrian crossings are planned to make it easier and safer to move between the station, bus stops and surrounding streets. Cycle users would benefit from a 22‑space covered bike shelter, also designed with a green roof.

Landscaping is a key part of the design, with existing poor‑quality scrub and hedgerow replaced by semi‑mature tree planting to screen the site from nearby homes. The plans also include bioretention areas to manage surface water and improve biodiversity.

Artist’s impression of the proposed Llanelli Multi‑Modal Interchange showing new bus stops with green‑roof shelters, redesigned car park with EV charging bays, and improved pedestrian crossings south of the railway station.Artist’s impression of the proposed Llanelli Multi‑Modal Interchange showing new bus stops with green‑roof shelters, redesigned car park with EV charging bays, and improved pedestrian crossings south of the railway station.

Public backing

The consultation report shows that 88% of respondents believed Llanelli would benefit from the interchange, with more than four in five saying it would encourage them to use public transport more often.

One resident commented that the hub would “finally bring buses and trains together in one place,” while another said it would “make the station feel like a proper gateway to the town rather than a back entrance.”

Concerns were raised about whether the bus facilities would be fully used, given the current limited services on Station Road. The council’s response was that the interchange is designed for future growth, particularly with developments such as Pentre Awel expected to increase demand.

Other feedback led to changes in the final design: pedestrian crossings were revised, cycle shelters relocated, and the dimensions of disabled and EV bays adjusted.

Part of a wider regeneration picture

The interchange is not being developed in isolation. It is intended to complement the £200m Pentre Awel wellness and life science village, which opened its first phase earlier this year. The landmark development on Llanelli’s coastline is expected to create around 2,000 jobs and attract thousands of visitors, making improved transport links essential.

It also ties into Carmarthenshire Council’s new town centre masterplans for Llanelli, Ammanford and Carmarthen, which set out how empty buildings will be brought back into use, new homes created, and public spaces improved. The council has been clear that better transport connectivity is central to making town centres more vibrant and accessible.

Closer to the station itself, the demolition of the Four Tys housing blocks in Tyisha has now been completed, paving the way for a new mixed‑use development with modern housing, community facilities and green space. The interchange is seen as a vital link in reconnecting Tyisha with the town centre and wider region.

“Enhancing access to sustainable transport”

Cllr Edward Thomas, Carmarthenshire’s Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure, said earlier this year:

“We are looking for feedback to help shape plans for Llanelli Multi‑Modal Interchange to ensure that we are providing an appropriate solution that enhances access to more sustainable transport opportunities to support Llanelli into the future.”

Next steps

If approved, the interchange would be built in phases alongside the existing station, with construction carefully managed to minimise disruption. The council says the project is a vital part of its strategy to reduce car dependency, improve access to jobs and education, and support the wider regeneration of Llanelli.

Related Llanelli regeneration stories

Canolfan Pentre Awel opens its doors in Llanelli
The landmark £200m wellness and life science village has welcomed its first visitors, promising 2,000 jobs and a major boost to the local economy.

Future of Llanelli, Ammanford and Carmarthen town centres set out
Carmarthenshire Council unveils masterplans to revitalise town centres, bring empty buildings back into use and create new homes and jobs.

‘Four Tys’ housing blocks in Llanelli set to be demolished
The demolition of the Tyisha tower blocks has cleared the way for a new mixed‑use development with modern housing, community facilities and green space.

#busStation #CarmarthenshireCouncil #CllrEdwardThomas #Llanelli #LlanelliRailwayStation #LlanelliTrainStation #LlanelliTransportHub #multiModalInterchange #PentreAwel #planningApplication #publicTransport #townCentreMasterplan #TransportHub #Tyisha