FEARS have been allayed that thousands of plastic drinks bottles used in Ironman Wales may end up in landfill.

Up to 10,000 of the red and yellow bottles were provided over the four feed stations in the recent event.

Members of the public were alarmed at the sight of the discarded bottles piled up in council refuse bins and took to social media wondering why the bottles could not be re-used or recycled.

Although they cannot be re-used because of hygiene concerns, or recycled because of the grade of their material, the bottles will be exported by Pembrokeshire County Council to ultimately produce electricity and heat, a spokesman told the Western Telegraph.

He added: “The bottles will be disposed of via the authority’s Energy from Waste scheme, which operates out of Pembroke Dock, whereby waste that cannot be recycled is exported by sea and used to produce electricity and heat.

“The drinks bottles are made of a lower-grade plastic, which is not currently accepted by our recycling contractor, as they would contaminate the higher-grade plastics the council collects and recycles. Because of hygiene concerns, neither would they be appropriate for re-use by persons other than the original user.

“PCC has provided the refuse collection and disposal on behalf of Ironman for the waste generated.”

Surplus food items from Ironman Wales, including Doritos, cakes, tea bags, sugar and coffee, have been donated by the organisation to Sainsbury’s in Tenby for them to pass on to their local food bank charity Patch, which is the store’s charity of the year.