A six-month trial is being introduced in parts of north Monmouthshire to establish a separate recycling system for glass.

Monmouthshire County Council’s waste and recycling service says that glass is not only a valuable resource in its own right, but separating it from paper and card will add value to these materials too.

The trial starts the week beginning Monday September 19 and will embrace a wide range of households and businesses in areas of Abergavenny, Gilwern, Govilon, Llanellen, Goytre, Little Mill, Glascoed, Coed-y-Paen and Llangybi.

More than 6,500 properties will receive a new green box for glass jars and bottles, to be collected on the same day as red and purple bags. No properties will see changes to collection days.

Boxes delivered to participating properties will contain supplies of red bags and special purple bags which clearly state ‘No glass’, as well as grey bags for rubbish, food waste bags and a leaflet explaining the changes. No black bags or purple bags containing glass will be collected from the trial area.

Councillor Bryan Jones, the council’s cabinet member with responsibility for waste and recycling said, “The trial is an important step towards increasing both the quality and quantity of our recycling.

“Glass can be recycled over and over again and saves the planet’s finite resources, so this trial is an important way to assess if this method of collection will work in the whole of the county.

“Residents have always risen to the challenge of increasing recycling when we introduce new services, and we are confident they will do so again”.

Residents seeking further information are asked to visit the council’s website - monmouthshire.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/glass-recycling-box-trial - or telephone 01633 644644.