UK Waste Statistic: Recycling Up, Landfill Down, Could Do More

Source: 

• Landfill is single largest destination for waste. 46.1%
• 40.1% of household waste being sent for recycling is the first time it's broken 40% in the UK

3 February 2011 

Defra has released its latest national statistics on local authority waste management for the England. 

The highlight of the report is that 40.1% of household waste sent for recycling or composting or reuse between July 2009 and June 2010 - an increase on the previous figure of 39.7% in the financial year April 2009 to March 2010. 

Responding to the news that this figure has topped 40% for the first time in England, Becky Slater, waste campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said: 

"The spectacular growth in recycling over the last 10 years has helped Britain save cash, tackle climate change and create thousands of new jobs." 

According to the figures, over the same period the amount of household waste generated per person per year was 456 kg, of which 182 kg was recycled and 273 kg was not recycled. 

Further to the increasing recycling rate, the total household waste collected has continued to fall, with a 0.3% reduction to 23.6 million tonnes generated across England. quantity of waste sent to landfill dropped some 2.32% from 12.4 million tonnes the previous financial year to 12.2 million tonnes for April 2009 to March 2010. 

However, while landfilling is down, it still accounts for the largest single destination for the nations waste at 46.1% 

"People around the UK are keen to get even more rubbish out of their bins - and we're all frustrated by unnecessary packaging and having to bin stuff that councils don't recycle. The Government should make more recycling possible in our homes and workplaces, and aim to halve the rubbish that has to go into our black bin bags by 2020." Slater Added