Sir, Perhaps I could respond to Tessa Pearson's letter (Plastic Included) published in the Tenby Observer of Friday, August 20. Pembrokeshire County Council has started collecting plastic through the pilot kerbside collection scheme launched in March this year. Members of the public may be aware that prior to this scheme there were no council-operated facilities in the county for the collection of this material. Because plastic is light and takes up a vast amount of space, a large facility is needed where it can be stored, sorted and baled prior to transportation to the markets. At present, no such facility is available in Pembrokeshire and therefore all recyclables collected through the kerbside collection scheme, and at the County Show, are taken to Carmarthen Recycling located in Carmarthen. A key part of the Waste Strategy for Pembrokeshire will be the development of a Materials Recycling Facility, which is currently being planned. This facility will ensure that we can continue to extend and improve the recycling services in the county, and therefore be able to meet the recycling targets set by the Welsh Assembly Government. The provision of the Materials Recycling Facility and the expansion of the kerbside collection scheme will ensure that more residents will be provided with the opportunity to recycle materials such as plastic, cardboard, glass bottles and jars, newspaper and magazines, office paper, junk mail, steel and aluminium cans, and tins and aluminium foil. It is our aim that by the end of the financial year 2005 - 2006, 40 per cent of households will be included in this scheme.
Clr. Brian Hall, Cabinet member for Environment and Transportation,
Pembrokeshire County Council, County Hall, Haverfordwest.