SOME 13 tonnes of grass was collected during a once-a-year cut of some parks and green spaces during just two days in September.
The reduced mowing policy, which Torfaen Borough Council has operated in some form since 2014, is to be extended from the current 348 sites, measuring 31.6 hectares, to a further 127 sites from next year.
It is intended to encourage biodiversity and allow natural flowers and plants to grow in areas where grass is only cut once a year.
Councillor Mandy Owen said the cut and collect process started on September 29 and the amount collected then and the remaining day in September amounted to 13 tonnes.
The cut grass is taken to Torfaen Borough Council’s Household Waste and Recycling Centre, in New Inn, where along with garden waste it is taken to a local composter who process it as a soil conditioner.
Available at recycling centre
A portion of that is returned to the recycling centre and made available for the public to collect.
Cllr Owen was responding to a question from Blaenavon independent councillor Nick Horler who described the annual cut and collect policy as “positive” and asked for details on how much grass is collected across the borough and what happens to it.
Figures for October’s collection aren’t yet available but Cllr Owen said it is expected to be higher as that is when the majority of grass cutting and collection takes place.
Labour’s Cllr Owen, who represents Greenmeadow in Cwmbran, said as well as the council’s own groundworks staff collecting the cut grass a local farmer undertakes the cut and collect at three sites and uses it as bail for his animal feed.
Cllr Horler asked if the composted material could be returned to the area where the grass was cut which Cllr Owen said she would look into but said: “That might be difficult putting it back in one place as it would not be available to everybody.”