THE Ammanford recycling point for unwanted electrical items has been moved after residents failed to make use of it, the county council has announced.

The WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) bank at Penybanc Road carpark was opened in May in a bid to encourage householders to recycle their old equipment such as hairdryers, toasters and mobile phones.

The recycling of more electronic items has been seen as crucial if the local authority is to achieve its target of recycling 58 per cent of the county’s waste by 2015/16, but use of the county’s WEEE banks has been disappointing.

The facility has now been relocated to the Co-op car-park off Margaret Street in the hope that more residents will make use of the drop-off point.

A similar bank at Pont Melinddwr in Llansawel has also been moved – to Abergwili – due to the disappointing response.

Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for Technical Services Councillor Colin Evans said: “Unfortunately, the WEEE banks in these locations were removed because people weren’t using them to their full potential.

“If the banks are not being utilised we will look at moving them to different locations in the county to maximise their usage.

“It’s important that we recycle as much of our waste as possible.

“We are working hard to improve recycling rates in Carmarthenshire and by relocating these containers it will make it easier for others to recycle and help us achieve our targets.”

Official figures show that last year Carmarthenshire recycled around 56 per cent of its rubbish but that must increase to 58 per cent by 2015/16 and 70 per cent by 2025. Failure to reach the Welsh Government targets could result in the authority being his with large financial penalties.

Residents can take along small electronic and electrical items such as hairdryers, radios, toasters, kettles and mobile phones - any electrical item that can fit inside the bin will be accepted.

The WEEE banks are not able to accept large electrical items such as televisions or fridges. Residents can either take these items to their nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre or arrange for a bulky waste collection for a small charge.

Washing machines, cookers, tumble dryers and dishwashers can be recycled – with free collection - by contacting Gwyn i Wyrdd. Gwyn i Wyrdd is a reuse and repair scheme for white goods appliances. For more information, visit gwyniwyrdd.co.uk

For a list of WEEE banks visit http://ilocal.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/my-nearest/ or call Carmarthenshire Direct on 01267 234567.