Flintshire Council has £540,000 fines dropped after recycling improvements

Thanks to the increased efforts and support of Flintshire residents, the Council has successfully ensured the removal of more than £540,000 in fines in recognition of the county’s improved recycling performance.

Infraction fines of £356,279 for 2022/23 and £184,340 for 2023/24 had been imposed by the Welsh Government after Flintshire fell short of statutory recycling targets in those years.

The Council had already secured the removal of a £663,000 infraction fine relating to 2021/22.

The removal of the fines follows sustained efforts by the Council to transform its waste and recycling services to significantly improve recycling rates.

Central to this has been the adoption of a new Resource and Waste Strategy for 2024-2030, which included a series of measures to help lead Flintshire towards a circular economy, maximise resource efficiency and minimise waste.

As part of these changes, collections of non-recyclable (black bin) waste moved to a three-weekly cycle in April 2025, encouraging residents to recycle more and divert waste from the black bin.

This was supported by other service changes including a new ‘visible waste’ process at Household Recycling Centres, and ongoing work to raise awareness of recycling.

Early indications suggest that Flintshire has achieved the statutory 70% recycling target for 2025/26, up from 63% the previous year, although final figures are still subject to verification.

Provided the 70% target has now been met, the Council is hopeful that a further fine for missing the target in 2024/25 will also be waived.

Katie Wilby, Chief Officer for Streetscene and Transportation, said:

“We are pleased that the significant progress made in our recycling performance across Flintshire has been recognised by Welsh Government through removal of these fines.

“Our focus has been on delivering meaningful, long-term change to move Flintshire towards a more circular economy.

“While there is still work to do, these results demonstrate the positive impact of the changes we have made and the efforts of our communities, and we would like to thank residents for their ongoing support.”