English councils hit recycling targets

New figures released this week show that 90% of local councils in England are meeting their recycling targets.

The statistics released by Defra show that in 2007/8:

The figures represent the UK’s biggest yearly drop in waste being sent to landfill for the past five years.

East Lindsey District Council was the top local authority for recycling, with a recycling/composting rate of 58.4%. It was almost the most improved authority, increasing their recycling rate by more than 20%.

Commenting on the figures, environment minister Jane Kennedy said recycling has become part of ‘everyday life’ in the UK.

She added that the way Brits think about waste has changed, leading to a ‘revolution in recycling’.

Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Environment Board, said local councils and residents ‘deserve great credit’ for the substantial improvement in recycling rates.

However, Bettison warned that despite the improvements, UK councils must do more remove the UK’s reputation as the dustbin of Europe.