According to the latest government figures the recycling rates for household waste have fallen for the first time since records began. in Cheshire East has fallen by 1.5%.
Statistics from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) show that the household recycling rate in England fell from 44.8% in 2014 to 43.9% in 2015. Whilst the most recent quarterly data, for January to March 2016, show that the household waste rate was 43.9%, this a decrease of 0.8 percentage points compared to 2014/15.
In Cheshire East the household recycling rate has fallen 1.5%. In 2014/15 it was 56.8%, however recent figures from DEFRA show that this has dropped to 55.3% for the financial year to the end of March 2016.
Government figures reveal that the North West's household recycling rate has fallen by 0.4% from 46.5% in 2014/15 to 46.1% for the financial year to end March 2016 - this marks the first fall ever recorded in the region since modern records began in 2000/2001.
The North West region ranked third out of nine English regions for the eleventh year running, behind the East of England and the South West.
Trafford MBC retains the highest household recycling rate in the North West at 60.4%, although that was a 1.5 percentage point fall compared to the same period in 2014/15. Cheshire East Council ranked fourth in the North West behind Stockport MBC and Cheshire West and Cheshire. Whilst Liverpool City Council has the lowest household recycling rate out of all local authorities in the North West, at 29.2% in 2015/16, down from 29.6% in 2014/15.
According to DEFRA, every region in England during 2015/16 experienced a decline in annual household recycling rates, other than the South West which stagnated at 47.6%.
David Palmer-Jones, CEO for SUEZ recycling and recovery in the UK, said: "The introduction of more charging by local authorities for green collections - largely garden waste - may be deterring many households from putting their cuttings out for collection and recycling rates are still measured largely by weight of materials collected with green waste tending to be wetter and heavier rather than measuring the quality and reuse value of recyclable materials collected."
He added "The UK is at a tipping point and without radical change to improve England's household recycling rates the UK will not meet its EU agreed target of 50% recycling rates by 2020. Wales has shown England that it is possible to come closer to that target thanks to a clear national policy of enforceable local targets with Wales achieving over 60.2% over the financial year to end-March 2016, up a strong 4% over the prior 12 month period of 2014/2015. Wales' recycling rates continue to improve, achieving 61% for the 12 months to end-June 2016 according to analysis of official data."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
I don't really mind about the green bin collection suspension personally, although I can see why some would. But having a single bin for recycling is excellent, I put more than 50% of my rubbish in it, and it's not hard at all. None of the myriad of bins some councils insist on - thanks to the investment in sorting facilities I think.
I see no plans currently to charge for garden waste disposal in the pre-budget plan, good. As noted, if implemented this would apparently impact negatively (reduce) the recycling rate further.
I also hope there are no plans to go to longer periods between regular waste collections, I haven't seen any, and alternate weeks for each type works for me. Except when I go on holiday and forget to ask my neighbour, but that's not really the council's fault.