New app to organise booking at recycling centres

A free online booking and appointment app is helping the Vale of Glamorgan Council reopen its recycling centres and reduce waiting times for the public.

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford announced last month that recycling centres could reopen as part of the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

The app has been launched by Cardiff-based digital company Zipporah. More than 3,000 bookings were made on the first day when they reopened in the Vale of Glamorgan – 10 bookings were made every minute. It is proving vital in helping recycling centres manage attendance, maintain physical distancing and reduce queuing.

The app, called 'Generic’, also provides residents with clear instructions and procedures to follow before arriving and during their visit to a recycling centre. The app has also been taken up by local authorities outside Wales. Zipporah is providing it to all free of charge.

Ken Skates, Economy, Transport and North Wales Minister, said: “This is a fantastic example of a Welsh company taking action in a time of crisis to introduce a new product for the benefit of public services and local residents. Indications show the Generic app has already proved a success at recycling centres in the Vale of Glamorgan. This is absolutely essential in ensuring physical distancing rules are maintained and people can come and go with confidence and ease. I’d like to thank Zipporah and the Vale of Glamorgan council for working collaboratively to bring a successful solution into the public domain.”