31/05/2014 BBC Wales Today

People in Torfaen could have their black bins collected once a month in

It's just one of the proposals being considered

by the council as it aims to reach Welsh government waste targets.

At the moment, people like Garry Bartlet from

Cwmbran prepare for their rubbish to be collected every two weeks.

Introducing monthly black bin bag collections is just one

of a number of ideas being considered by Torfean Council.

It's trying to meet new waste targets set by the Welsh Government.

At the moment the recycling rate stands at 52% -

If councils don't reach their new recycling target,

Next year local authorities could face fines of ?100,000 for every

With many already struggling with budgets, Torfean is one

of a number of areas looking at ways to stop that happening.

Last month Gwynedd Council approved plans for black bag

rubbish to be collected every three weeks instead of fortnightly.

In Neath Port Talbot, changes there have seen smaller

wheelie bins introduced to encourage people to recycle more.

But people living in the Torfean argue they already limit the amount

they throw in the black bins, and monthly pick-ups won't change that.

I do not think it would make people recycle more, to be honest. It would

make things worse. Ridiculous. It is school every fortnight, so there is

no way they could move it to one month. It is ridiculous. There will

be rubbish everywhere. Torfean council say they're also

looking at other options, including limiting people to two

bags or reducing the bin size. A consultation will be held

before any plans are approved. The former leader of the

Welsh Liberal Democrats has told BBC Wales the party's solicitors

decided to hold back Lord Rennard's apology on sexual harassment

allegations until after last week's Lord Carlile says senior party

figures, including Deputy Prime Minister Nick

Clegg, saw Lord Rennard's apology "weeks ago", although it was only

issued on Thursday. Three of the four women involved,

including Welsh party activist Alison Goldsworthy, are calling for

the peer's expulsion from the party. Gwynedd Council says school buses

will run as usual on Monday despite the closure

of a local bus operator overnight. Padarn Bus, which served the Gwynedd

and Anglesey areas, folded last Operators have been found

for routes in Anglesey, but in Gwynedd the council is warning

of some service disruptions. Big changes to the probation system

come into effect today. Staff will be transferred to new organisations,

which will be run by private firms after a bidding process in the

autumn. Rugby, and former captain

Matthew Rees has completed a season in which he received treatment for

testicular cancer by being named in The hooker is joined by four

uncapped players in the 32-man squad, which was announced after

last night's trial match victory for It's a great story in terms of what

he has had to go through and the amount of work he has gone into

putting himself in shape. You have got to take your hat off to Matthew

in terms of that. It's the final day of competitions

at the Urdd National Eisteddfod. More than 86,000 people have

attended this year's festival in the Bala -

an increase of 5,000 on last year. The Eisteddfod will move

to Caerphilly next year. The Eisteddfod will move

to Caerphilly next year. It has been mainly dry day across

Wales. Will it last? We have seen plenty of dry weather

across Wales today. But it has been quite cloudy. That is thanks to this

area of high pressure. Tonight it will be dry across the country, with

cloud creeping across the West and variable amounts of cloud. Onto

tomorrow morning, like today it will be fairly cloudy, but the cloud is

breaking up over North Wales and South East Wales, with temperatures

reaching 19 or 20 Celsius. You can see rain behind me that will push

into the country across Monday, so turning more unsettled.

That is all from me. Goodbye. Hello. So far, so good. Most of us

have had