The report, released on Friday (26 March), provides analysis on the end destinations of recyclable materials collected by the authorities in the partnership for reuse and recycling in 2019/20.
It shows that the total household waste generated between the eleven councils in the partnership was 479,480 tonnes.
Of this, 250,800 tonnes was sent for re-use, recycling and composting, giving the HWP a recycling and composting rate of 52.3%.
Markets
The report provided a detailed list of all materials, showing how much was collected, processed in the UK and also exported for recycling.
The highest tonnages were seen for garden waste, where 50,616 tonnes, around a quarter of all recycling, was processed. Of this, 100% was recycled in the UK.
Other streams which saw 100% of material recycled domestically include, mixed glass, mixed cans, scrap metal, WEEE and wood.
The report added that 54.7% (137,190 tonnes) of all recyclates collected by the Partnership were reprocessed in the East of England.
Export
With paper, 26, 234 tonnes of mixed paper and card was collected, with 52% recycled in the UK. A further 2.97% was exported to the EU with the remainder sent to the Far East, Turkey and ‘other’ countries.
With mixed plastics, 10,378 tonnes were collected with 69.4% recycled domestically and a further 22.87% sent to the EU. Around 8% of mixed plastic was sent outside the EU.
Other markets with high levels of export include textiles, with just 16% recycled domestically, composite food and beverage cartons, at 34% and single stream card, where just 2% was recycled domestically.
Destinations
The largest market for exporting recyclables for the partnership was the Far East, with India, Indonesia, Taiwan and
Thailand all listed as examples. A total of 9% of all collected recyclables was sent to this market.
A further 2% was sent to the EU while the remainder was sent to ‘other countries’ with the Ivory Coast, Russian Federation and Ukraine listed as examples.
Data
The data used to compile the report is based on partner authority submissions to WasteDataFlow. Partner authorities are required to submit reports to WDF on a quarterly basis.
Hertfordshire Waste Parntership brings together the ten borough and district councils in their capacity as waste collection authorities and Hertfordshire county council as the waste disposal authority.
The waste collection authorities are: Broxbourne borough council, Dacorum borough council, East Herts district council, Hertsmere borough council, North Herts district council, St Albans city and district council, Stevenage borough council, Three Rivers district council, Watford borough council Welwyn Hatfield borough council.
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