A site in Blaenavon has been revealed as the new location for a base to sort recyclables and food waste collected across Torfaen.

Planning for a new recycling processing plant has been underway since 2024 when proposals to redesign and overhaul an existing centre were abandoned.

Torfaen Borough Council has now revealed the location of a site it agreed to purchase, during a behind closed doors meeting of its Labour cabinet in January, which is has said it will redevelop as a “state‑of‑the‑art recycling processing facility.”

The plans for the former Capital Valley recycling centre, at units one and two on the Kays and Kears Industrial Estate in Blaenavon, are subject to the council gaining planning permission with the intention the site will come into use from 2028.

The council has described the purchase as an important step towards improving Torfaen’s recycling services.

Latest Welsh Government figures show Torfaen is one 10 councils across Wales that once again failed to meet the national target that at least 70 per cent of waste is recycled, including food waste that is composted and used to generate energy.

Torfaen’s recycling performance stood at 65 per cent for the 2024/25 financial year.

In 2023 the council abandoned plans to potentially reduce collections of wheelie bins to just once every three weeks as part of an effort to reduce the amount of more frequently collected food, and recyclables, that end up in what is known as “residual” or non-recyclable waste. Instead it agreed to maintain fortnightly bin collections and run a campaign to raise awareness of recycling services.

The following year the council said its plans to revamp its existing site at Ty Coch, in Cwmbran, were no longer feasible.

Councillor Sue Morgan, the cabinet member responsible for recycling, said: “A modern processing facility would not only meet current demand but also support new national requirements, including kerbside collections of stretchy plastic film.

“Environmental services are a growing sector with real potential for local benefits, and creating a modern, well‑managed facility will bring this site back into productive use for Blaenavon.

“Our current recycling facility is operating at full capacity and cannot be expanded any further, so this new location gives us the opportunity to modernise, increase the amount of recycling we can process, and prepare for future changes in legislation.”

If approved, all kerbside recycling collected across Torfaen will be taken to the new facility, where it will be sorted and prepared for its next destination.

As well as needing to obtain planning permission the council has said the project will only move ahead when it has “sufficient” funding which is likely to come from a combination of capital funding it holds, money from a fund that compensates councils for processing non recyclable materials and Welsh Government grants.

Torfaen council has been asked how much it paid for the site and what the budget for developing it is.

The council also intends creating a dedicated page on its website to answer questions and concerns from residents.