Businesses and homes will need to reduce the amount of waste they create under the newly launched Welsh Waste Reduction Programme.
Annual waste reduction targets have been set to 2050. Commercial waste will need to be cut by 1.2 per cent per year, industrial by 1.4 per cent, construction and demolition by 1.4 per cent and household by 1.2 per cent.
These are based on a 2006/07 baseline.
Welsh Natural Resources Minister Alun Davies launched the programme at the Terra Nova bar and kitchen in Cardiff Bay where he met with brewery Brains and food wholesaler Castell Howell to look at how the two companies have worked with WRAP to prevent waste in their supply chain.
Alun Davies said: “I want a shift in thinking towards waste as a valuable resource.
“We know that the true cost of one skip of mixed construction waste on site is around £1,300, that clothing waste discarded by retailers is valued at around £27,000 per tonne.
“The latest figures show the average Welsh household wastes £60 of edible food every month. Wherever possible, we should be looking to make the most of these products before they become waste.
“I want us to break the link between waste generation and economic growth. The Welsh Government is committed to delivering on the economy, and securing a healthy supply of natural resources is key to this. These are not contradictory aims. There are huge financial savings to be made.”
The Minister also outlined measures to encourage separate collection of WEEE and work to encourage more repair, reuse and resale of items.
He also launched a specific plan for managing and treating commercial and industrial waste.
The Industrial and Commercial Sector Plan outlines how the sector can reduce key waste streams both produced from their own premises and further along the supply chain, including waste generated by the consumer.
For more information on the Waste Prevention Programme visit here
For more information on the Industrial and Commercial Sector Plan visit here
