Even with all the legislation and efforts of environmentalists, UK recycling rates do not compare to the rest of Europe. Reports are constantly being released by Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) regarding directives, rates, and tonnes of other information that can be both enlightening and confusing.
Recycling - it’s a hot topic
Before discussing the best and worst councils, something must be said about the recycling standards of the UK versus other countries. First, you must realise that the criteria are not the same, so it may be unfair to judge critically the total percent of recycling efforts in the UK.
Additionally, the items often included in the surveys are not consistent. Also, not all local authorities reported their answers in time to be included in the survey. Still, the government knows all of this and has established realistic targets for reducing, reusing, and recycling.
Keeping all of that in mind, here are some facts as published by the aforementioned agencies. Currently, the proposed targets for reducing biodegradable municipal wastes sent to landfills are as follows:
By 2010, reduce wastes to 75% of that produced in 1995
By 2013, reduce wastes to 50% of that produced in 1995
By 2020, reduce wastes to 35% of that produced in 1995
DEFRA’s most recent statistics on individual authorities have concluded that overall, the UK has improved in its recycling efforts, and the directives do seem to be working. Critics complain that the directives aren’t aggressive or effective enough, yet the government says that the schemes are in fact working. What people need to focus on is the difference between residential and household waste and recycling schemes.
Household waste has been the focus of much of the media lately, with government instituting more legislation in order to raise rates. However, the household contribution to the overall waste picture is approximately 9%. The majority of waste comes from construction companies, followed closely by mining and quarry operations. If the government wants to reach its goals then it is important to properly address those sectors and their involvement in waste and recycling procedures.
DEFRA reports that the UK creates around 330 million tonnes of waste every year, and a quarter of this waste comes from households and business. The rest is created by construction, demolition, sewage, and farm wastes.
We can’t rely on these landfills forever
Some councils have taken it upon themselves to structure their own waste and recycling schemes, and many have met with great success. The work of these authorities is to be commended, even that of the London Council. London still ranks low on the recycling rate list, but it has shown some improvement. Norwich Council has also recently been praised for its stellar rise in recycling rates by meeting its projected target two years in advance.
The latest statistics show the following as the best and worst councils:
The top five councils and their recycling rates:
1. North Kesteven District Council at 55.5%
2. South Shropshire District Council at 53.2%
3. Rushcliffe Borough Council at 52.18%
4. Huntingdonshire District Council at 51.72%
5. Ryedale District Council at 51.01%
The bottom two councils:
1. Liverpool City Council at 12.72%
2. Tower Hamlets LB at 11.75%
Liverpool was the worst for recycling
The data provided by DEFRA can be broken down into many parts. It can actually become quite confusing if you are unfamiliar with statistics, the criteria, or the industry terminology. Fortunately, the following information helps us to make sense of the data.
Most improved in councils for sending Municipal Solid Waste to Landfill from 2006/2007 (shown by percent of decrease):
Sheffield City Council -20%
Kent County Council -16%
Southwark LB -14%
Bexley LB -14%
North Lincolnshire Council -13%
East London Waste Authority -13%
York City Council -13%
Bristol City Council -12%
Bromley LB -12%
North London Waste Authority -10%
Most improved recycling/composting rate from 2006/2007 (Improvement rate by percentage points):
Uttlesford District Council 17.2%
South Shropshire District Council 16.6%
Fenland District Council 16.5%
Bournemouth Borough Council 16.3%
Kettering Borough Council 16.2%
Mid Devon District Council 15.9%
WDF/UA most improved recycling/composting rate:
Bournemouth Borough Council 16.3%
York City Council 15.9%
Bristol City Council 14.4%
Top 10 “Green” recyclers:
South Cambridgeshire District Council 32.7%
South Shropshire District Council 31.4%
Ryedale District Council 30.9%
Teignbridge District Council 30.6%
Daventry District Council 29.9%
The North Kesteven District Council offers more information on the UK’s goals. By 2010, the UK plans to recycle 45 percent of all its municipal wastes, with 30 percent of that waste coming from households. This will put the UK into compliance with the EU Landfill Directive. To keep in compliance with this directive, that number must rise to 67 percent by 2015. However, to accomplish these goals, all UK councils are going to have to develop new strategies and new ways of recycling and handling wastes.
In North Kesteven, the household recycling rate has actually reached 55.5% in 2006/2007. This makes North Kesteven the top recycling authority in the UK. Other councils have begun studying the North Kesteven system to see if it can be applied to other councils since it has shown to produce results.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tower Hamlets LB has a lot of useful information on their website regarding their recycling schemes, but they have very little information about addressing their current waste status.
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