However, the 3.1% increase from the 34% in 2007/08 represents a further fall in the pace that the rate is rising – compared to the 4.2% increase seen in 2006/07 and 3.6% increase in 2007/08 (see letsrecycle.com story).
This, and a similarly significant 3.8% fall in household waste collected – compared to a five-year average of 0.9% – confirms reports that the recession has reduced consumption and, consequently, waste arisings.
Commenting on the figures, waste and recycling 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.”
Councils
As predicted by letsrecycle.com in June 2009 (see letsrecycle.com story), Staffordshire Moorlands district council had the highest local authority household waste recycling and composting rate in 2008/09, reaching 61.58%.
The council, which increased its rate from 52.87% in 2007/08, moves from eight to first in the local authority league table, toppling previous table-topper East Lindsay district council, which also saw its rate increase, but at a slower rate – from 58% in 2007/08 to 59.45% in 2008/09.
Joining Staffordshire Moorlands in breaking through the 60% ceiling is Cotswold district council, which achieved a 60.83% rate – representing a highly significant 17.36% improvement on the 43.46% it recorded in 2007/08.
That increase marks Cotswold out as one of the most improved councils: it's increase in rate was only topped by Rochford district council, which increased its rate by 30.23% to 49.51%, Rutland county council, which saw 24.08% increase in its rate, to 52.94%, and Warwick district council, which improved by 21.26% to 52.14%.
At the other end of the table, the London borough of Newham recorded the lowest household waste recycling and composting rate in 2008/09, at 15.40%, with the council of the Isles of Scilly (17.52%) and the London borough of Tower Hamlets (19.33%), also failing to top 20%
Statistics
The statistics published today also show that energy from waste continues to play a relatively small part in England's waste management landscape, with just 12.2% of municipal waste being incinerated for energy recovery in 2008/09, a slight increase from the 11.1% figure for 2007/08.
With household waste accounting for 89% of municipal waste arisings in 2008/09, the municipal waste recycling and composting rate also increased, from 34% in 2007/08 to 36.9% in 2008/09.
And, there was a 4.7% increase in the actual tonnage of household waste sent for recycling and composting – from 8.7 million tonnes in 2007/08 to 9.1 million tonnes in 2008/09.
However as the recycling rate and alternatives to landfill both increase, the figures illustrate the decline in both the tonnage and proportion of waste sent to landfill, and a drop in the amount of residual waste.
In 2008/09, 13.8 million tonnes of municipal waste was sent to landfill (50.3% of all municipal waste), compared to 15.5 million tonnes (or 54.4% of the total waste collected) the previous year.
The overall fall in the amount of waste collected was accompanied by a drop in the amount of household residual waste, falling by 8.3% from the 2007/08 figure to 15.2 million tonnes in 2008/09.
This means England is within the target set by the Waste Strategy 2007 for it to be creating no more than 15.8 million tonnes of household residual waste by 2010.
LGA
Reacting to the figures, the chair of the Local Government Association's environment board, councillor Gary Porter, praised the work of councils and householders in helping to achieve the 37.6% rate.
But, he added: “While recycling rates are moving in the right direction, there is an urgent need to do even more. There is an increasing risk that councils will fail to meet tough EU targets for cutting waste going to landfill by 2013. Failing to meet EU bin targets will hit councils and council taxpayers with potentially crippling fines.
“The government needs to make good on its undertaking to return to councils the tax they pay for throwing rubbish in the ground. Councils could use landfill tax to invest in better facilities to make recycling even easier and cut further the amount of rubbish we throw in the ground.”
| Authority | Household waste recycling and composting rate 2008-09 (%) | ||
| Staffordshire Moorlands DC | 61.58 | ||
| Cotswold DC | 60.83 | ||
| East Lindsey DC | 59.45 | ||
| South Hams DC | 57.90 | ||
| South Shropshire DC | 57.45 | ||
| Teignbridge DC | 57.37 | ||
| Huntingdonshire DC | 57.16 | ||
| Waveney DC | 55.91 | ||
| North Kesteven BC | 55.69 | ||
| Uttlesford DC | 53.73 | ||
| Source: DEFRA | |||
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