Registration for a new free kerbside collection scheme for nappies and other absorbent hygiene products (AHP) has opened in Pembrokeshire.

From the beginning of September, Pembrokeshire County Council will be collecting these products every fortnight from households signed up to the scheme.

Households eligible to use the service are those with children in nappies or individuals who use incontinence products.

Cllr Cris Tomos, Cabinet Member for the Environment, explained why the new AHP collections are being introduced: “If we are to reach the Welsh Government’s challenging recycling targets, Pembrokeshire needs to recycle even more,” he said.

“That’s not just easy-to-recycle items such as glass bottles, drinks cans, paper and card, but more difficult-to-recycle things such as nappies and incontinence waste.

“It will also free up more space in the residual (non-recyclable) bags when we move to three-weekly black bag collections in the autumn.”

The AHP collection service is the second stage in Pembrokeshire’s new three-part waste and recycling improvement scheme.

The first stage was the waste bag-sorting at Pembrokeshire’s waste and recycling centres, which was launched at the start of June.

The third stage will be the extra recycling provision for households and new arrangements for kerbside collections starting in the autumn.

The changes include the introduction of a Kerbside Sort Recycling Collection Service, which will see an increase in the range of recycling collected at the kerbside. This includes plastic pots, tubs and trays, food and beverage cartons and household batteries, in line with those that can now be disposed of at the waste and recycling centres.

The aim of these changes is to significantly boost the amount of recycling across the county.

“When the new recycling scheme is fully rolled out, it will result in an estimated 75% of all household waste being collected on a weekly or fortnightly basis from people’s homes,” said Cllr Tomos.

“This includes recyclables, green waste and absorbent hygiene products.

“The remaining non-recyclable items (an estimated 25%) will be collected every three weeks.”

For more information on the Absorbent Hygiene Products collection scheme, including how to register, please visit

https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/absorbent-hygiene-products

or phone the Council on 01437 764551.