HOUSEHOLDERS have been urged to share spare recycling boxes with their neighbours or keep them for additional waste at Christmas.

New recycling bags were introduced this summer to replace a box for plastic, cans, tins, and cartons and are collected weekly, alongside black boxes that are still used for glass, paper, batteries, and textiles, bags for cardboard, and food waste bins.

But Blaenavon independent councillor Nick Horler said residents in the town have been left with boxes they no longer need and cannot make the six-mile journey to Torfaen council’s recycling centre, at New Inn, to return them.

He suggested spare boxes could be left at the council’s recycling hubs such as the World Heritage Centre in Blaenavon.

However, Councillor Sue Morgan, the Labour cabinet member responsible, said it was not possible to collect them in a “cost-effective way”.

The Pontnewydd member instead suggested people share or store the boxes.

She said: “They are easy to store under the box that is already being used and people should feel free to share them with neighbours, friends, and family.

“If anyone doesn’t want to stack the spare under their box and really can’t share it with anyone else, the boxes can then be taken to the local household recycling centre.

“I would urge people that if they can’t share them around usefully to just stack them and retain them until with natural wastage they will come in handy.

“If nothing else, come Christmas time when we have a little more recycling, they may be useful in those sorts of periods.”