‘Most-improved recycler’ tag welcomed in Stroud

New government figures have shown that Stroud District Council disposes of the least amount of residual waste to landfill and incineration in the UK.

The council has been praised by government chiefs for its ‘comprehensive’ recycling service, having seen rates drastically increase since the authority changed the way it collected waste in 2016, while the amount of residual waste thrown away has plummeted in the same period.

The Department for Food Environment and Rural Affairs figures indicate that Stroud District Council is also the highest performing council for recycling in the south west and has experienced the largest increase in ‘household waste’ recycling rates – an impressive 61 per cent, up by 15 per cent.

Simon Pickering, chair of the council’s Environment Committee, said: “I am really pleased with the figures, which are testament to the way residents have embraced the new collection regime and I know that we can perform even better in future. The key to improvement now is for everyone to be thinking about buying less in the first place, and disposing of even less."

Overall, the recycling rate for waste from households in England last year experienced a slight rise, from 44.9 per cent to 45.2 per cent. However, to highlight the improvements, the household waste recycling rate was just 11 per cent in 2000.

A Defra spokesperson said: “It is encouraging to see the recycling rate rising in England. People are producing less waste, less of that waste is being sent to landfill, and separate food waste collections are increasing. More councils than ever are now recycling over half of all waste and the increases reported by councils such as Sutton, Stroud and Colchester show what can be achieved by offering residents a comprehensive waste collection service.

“Our upcoming Resources and Waste Strategy will set out plans to make sure we continue to reduce avoidable waste and recycle more. The government will shortly release a renewed strategy on resources and waste that looks ahead at opportunities outside the EU. This will set out our direction of travel on recycling and our commitment to improving the quantity and quality of what we recycle.”

You can read the Defra figures here.