New proposals could see fewer bin collections and punishments imposed on people who do not recycle enough in a bid to meet national recycling targets in Powys.

Bins could also be made smaller under the new proposals, which come as the Welsh Government threatens six-figure fines for missing its goals.

Powys County Council's proposals are revealed in a new "Draft Powys Sustainable Resource Strategy", which will be discussed in a scrutiny meeting on Monday (December 9) before the public has its say.

The council proposals warn it could “explore options to reduce the frequency or capacity of household residual waste, to encourage greater use of the weekly kerbside recycling service”.

The council adds that it would "continue to support households that have and will continue to need additional capacity”.

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The draft document also suggests the council “consider introducing an enforcement policy for residents who consistently refuse to recycle their waste at the kerbside, where other methods of encouraging recycling have not proved effective”.

The document says that 45 per cent of rubbish being discarded in black wheelie bins and purple sacks could have been recycled.

The council is under financial pressure from the Welsh Government to hit a higher recycling target and could be fined heavily as a result.

It adds “Failure to reach the 70 per cent target could result in financial penalties from Welsh Government.

“For every tonne of material under the 70 per cent target we face a fine of £200.

“This equates to approximately £100K for every percentage point below the target."

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The proposals also suggest promoting national campaigns and the reduced use of single-use items like nappies and coffee cups, making it easier to repair items, and collecting more bulky items for recycling. It also wants to encourage reuse of items via its recycling sites.

Cllr Jackie Charlton, cabinet member for a greener Powys, said in a statement: “In the last 10 years we have seen a 24,000-tonne reduction in amount of waste we produce, and our recycling rate has risen from 52.5 per cent to over 68 per cent.

“As we look ahead, we continue to face many challenges including our response to the global climate crisis, and a need to preserve our planet’s natural finite resources.

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“We must ensure that the services we provide support the people of Powys to collectively do their bit in reducing their impacts on our climate and the environment so that it is preserved for future generations. 

“When developing strategies, it is important to involve our stakeholders in the process. We will be running a 12-week public engagement exercise, where we will be seeking views from residents, members, partner organisations and workplaces on the draft policy.

“Our stakeholders’ voices will help ensure the strategy is comprehensive, feasible, and supported by the community and will influence future decisions and service provision across Powys.”