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Continued improvements as England remembers to reduce, reuse and recycle

News release

Ref: 258/09
Date: 5 November 2009

The amount of household rubbish recycled by local authorities in the last year has increased to 37.6 per cent while waste sent to landfill decreased by 1.2 million tonnes, according to new figures published today.

This is up from 34.5 per cent recycling in 2007/8 and shows a continued improvement in recycling from 11.2 per cent in 2000/2001.

Environment Minister Dan Norris said:

 “These results are very encouraging and show that we’re moving down the right road to becoming a zero waste nation - local authorities and individuals should be congratulated for their efforts.  Last week we launched a campaign encouraging everyone to ‘Remember: reduce, reuse, recycle’.  We’re already pretty good - and getting better -  at recycling but what we need to do now is to think about reducing what we use and reusing what we can.”  

Key statistics show

  • The highest household recycling/composting/reuse rate was 61.58 per cent in Staffordshire Moorlands District Council;
  • The top three most improved local authorities included Rochford District Council, Rutland County Council and Warwick District Council;
  • The authority with the lowest household waste arisings per head was Weymouth and Portland Borough Council; and
  • The best regional recycling areas can be found in the East, East Midlands and South West.

Defra has launched a national campaign designed to encourage people to think about how they make better use of everything around them, reusing what they have, while continuing to recycle as much as they can.  For more information visit www.direct.gov.uk/waste.

Notes to editors

1. Defra is continuing to work with the Local Government Association, local authorities and WRAP to support local waste services, fund research and help areas that are not  performing so well to do better. WRAP has joined with the Local Government Association to invite local authorities to make a commitment to the first set of principles for a good waste and recycling service based on the views of the public. The commitment aims to help local authorities improve residents’ satisfaction with how their rubbish and recycling is collected and ultimately boost recycling rates

2. Further information on the ONS statistics and lists of the top ten authorities who have increased recycling the most; reduced waste per head the most and achieved the highest recycling and composting rates can be found at: www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/statistics/environment/wastats/bulletin09.htm

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Page published: 5 November 2009