Title

Local authority municipal waste management, by quarter

Last update

May 2016 May 2016

Next update

August 2016

Publishing organisation

Welsh Government

Source 1

WasteDataFlow, Natural Resources Wales

Contact email

stats.environment@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Designation

National Statistics

Lowest level of geographical disaggregation

Local authorities

Geographical coverage

Local authorities

Languages covered

English only

General description

Quarterly data is given on the amount of local authority municipal waste collected and the percentage of this waste being prepared for re-use, recycling or composting for all 22 local authorities.

Data collection and calculation

In Wales local authority municipal waste includes material from domestic and commercial properties that is collected by, or on behalf of the 22 local authorities. Results for the amount and type of waste collected and how it is disposed of are collected through the WasteDataFlow system.Local Authorities in Wales are required to report quarterly information on collected municipal waste; the amount of municipal waste sent to landfills and the amount of municipal waste sent to other facilities. This information is submitted by local authorities via WasteDataFlow. The monitoring authority (Natural Resources Wales) are then responsible for validation of this information.The data published on a quarterly basis is provisional and are subject to revisions until finalised figures for the financial year have been published.There may be some discrepancies between some of the tables as some relate to the amount of waste generated/collected whilst others refer to the amount sent for treatment. This can be a matter of timing if, for example, authorities stockpile waste for later treatment. There may also be some inconsistencies in the measurement since the waste is weighed when collected and again when it is sent for treatment. In addition, there may also be loss in weight through various treatment processes. Natural Resources Wales validate all local authority returns and require that the difference between the amount collected and the amount sent for treatment must not differ by more than 10 per cent in any quarter, unless a valid explanation can be given. Local authority municipal waste excludes abandoned vehicles.In the tables where figures have been rounded to the nearest final digit, the constituent items may not add up exactly to the total.

Frequency of publication

Quarterly

Data reference periods

The regulations in Wales require that local authorities submit their data to WasteDataFlow each quarter. Each quarterly summary is therefore based on returns from all 22 authorities. Data is provided for each quarter of the financial year from 2007 onwards.

Users, uses and context

For further information see the Key Quality Information via weblinks.

Rounding applied

In the tables where figures have been rounded to the nearest final digit, the constituent items may not add up exactly to the total.

Revisions information

From 1 April 2012 there have been changes in definitions relating to local authority municipal waste. These changes affect the total amount of local authority municipal waste generated and the percentage prepared for reuse, recycling or composting in Wales. As a result, from 2012-13 figures published within this quarterly statistical release will be directly comparable with those in the annual statistical bulletin ‘Local Authority Municipal Waste Management Report for Wales’ and the National Strategic Indicator which is used to monitor progress towards Welsh Government targets. Furthermore all historical data within this release has been recalculated based on the new definitions to allow direct comparisons to be made over time. A detailed description of these definition changes and their impacts can be found in the Statistical article 'Local Authority Waste Management: Change in Definition'.

Figures for April 2014 to September 2015 are provisional and are subject to revision once end of year results have been calculated.

Statistical quality

It is important to note there are inter-seasonal differences between the data for each quarter and each local authority. These differences may be due to the fact that some local authorities have a higher tonnage in July to September due to an influx of tourists. The composting figures are usually lower in quarters 3 and 4 due to lower amounts of garden waste generated outside the growing season. At various times, local authorities also introduce new services, for example collections of food waste, so composting figures for the relevant quarter will be higher than the previous quarter. Taking all of these factors into account a degree of caution is needed when carrying out comparisons between successive quarters and each local authority.
Given that the quarterly results are provisional this release tries to strike a balance between publishing early results and waiting for more secure data.
These data have been classified as National Statistics.

Weblinks

http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/local-authority-municipal-waste-management/?lang=en

http://wales.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/local-authority-municipal-waste-management/?lang=en

Keywords

Municipal waste; local authority; recycling

Name

ENVI0014