Residents in Penarth could soon have to separate their recycling into different containers from October.

Major changes to recycling have already been made in Barry and rural parts of the Vale of Glamorgan, with separate containers used for different materials.

As a new recycling plant is set to open in Barry later this year, these changes are almost ready to roll out to the eastern parts of the Vale including Penarth and Dinas Powys.

Barry and western parts of the Vale already separate their recycling, with an orange bag for cardboard; a white bag for paper; a grey caddy for glass bottles and jars; a blue bag for plastic, cans and cartons; a green caddy for food waste; and a green bag for garden waste.

The changes were introduced in rural areas in October 2019 and in Barry in October 2020. Vale of Glamorgan Council, which has the second-best recycling rate in Wales, has set out a plan for the next decade to further increase recycling rates.

Councillor Peter King, the cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services and Transport, said the Vale's recycling rates could even be some of the best in Europe.

He said: "In 2020–21 we recorded a recycling performance of 70.6 per cent, the second-highest performance in Wales, and likely one of the highest performance figures in the UK and maybe even the EU. We have achieved this performance due to our change to source segregated curbside recycling.

"I can't underestimate or over-exaggerate the herculean efforts of our residents; I really do appreciate that. However, about one-third of our residents, those living in Penarth, Dinas and the other eastern Vale areas have not yet benefited from these new recycling arrangements and are still co-mingling their materials."

Mr King was speaking during a cabinet meeting on Monday, March 29, when council bosses approved new recycling and waste management business plan. Improving recycling rates forms a major part of the council's decarbonisation plan, called Project Zero.

Penarth and Dinas Powys and eastern parts of the Vale still mix recycling into a blue bag. The changes aim to improve the quality of recyclable materials, which is better for the environment and means the council gets a higher income from selling the material.

Mixing recycling can often mean the material is contaminated and unable to be recycled. A 12-week public consultation will be held in the summer on the new ten-year recycling plan before final approval.

The changes will likely be introduced in Penarth, Dinas Powys, Llandough and Sully in October.