The reason why Newport has one of the best recycling rates in Wales is 'down to the size of the bins'

The city council has said the new roll-out has been a massive success

Four councils in Gwent have recorded improved recycling rates – but another could face a fine for missing Welsh Government targets – according to provisional figures.

Caerphilly County Borough Council was one of four authorities in Wales to miss the new 64 per cent target last year – recording an overall rate of 62.51 per cent – according to figures published in a Blaenau Gwent council report.

The figures still need to be verified by Natural Resources Wales, before being checked and published by Welsh Government on October 31.

Some of the figures may change in the process, the Welsh Government said.

Councils face a fine of £200 per tonne of excess waste for missing the legal target.

The average recycling rate across Wales in 2019/20 was 65.31 per cent, an improvement from 59.28 per cent the previous year, according to the council report.

However the target of all waste which must be recycled has risen from 58 per cent to 64 per cent.

Newport City Council saw a significant improvement in its rate, rising from 58.95 per cent in 2018/19 to 66.36 per cent last year.

The new rate places the city as the eighth best performing local authority in Wales, a rise from equal worst in the table in the previous year.

The council has previously credited the roll-out of smaller bins for improving the recycling rate.

Monmouthshire council – which has introduced resident permits and day closures across its four tips – was the second best in Gwent, recycling 65.57 per cent of waste.

This equates to an increase of around two per cent from the previous year.

Blaenau Gwent council also saw a significant improvement, with the 11th best rate in Wales at 65.31 per cent.

The authority previously had one of the worst rates in Wales and was fined £77,800 for failing to hit targets in 2016/17.

But a strict black bag sorting policy has been introduced at the New Vale tip, along with side waste enforcement and campaigns encouraging residents to recycle.

Torfaen council increased its recycling rate from 60.53 per cent to 64.40 per cent to meet the target.

But Caerphilly’s rate dropped from the sixth best in Wales, at 65.08 per cent, to the third worst at 62.51 per cent.

Only Neath Port Talbot, at 61.74 per cent, and Cardiff, at 58.14, recorded worse rates.

If any authority fails to meet the 64 per cent target, the Welsh Government said it can consider factors such as how many times it has missed the target, how much it fell short by and what reassurances it has provided for future delivery before deciding upon fines.

Caerphilly council was contacted.