Cheshire East Council is thanking residents after it was revealed the amount of waste being sent to landfill has reduced significantly.
The authority has transformed the way it recycles household waste this year with the introduction of the new silver bin which means residents can recycle more, using just one bin.
In October, figures showed the amount of waste sent to landfill, in Cheshire East, dropped by 1,000 tonnes, compared to October 2010, which represents a saving of £100,000.
New figures, released by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) show Cheshire East Council has the highest recycling rate of any unitary authority in the North West, with 49 per cent of all household waste being recycled from November 2010 to November 2011.
Councillor Rod Menlove, Cabinet member with responsibility for environmental services, said: "I cannot thank residents enough for their commitment to recycling. The impact of avoiding sending waste to landfill should not be underestimated – it improves our environment and reduces the ever-increasing cost to this authority and to council taxpayers.
"I am very pleased that Cheshire East has again maintained its recycling rate this year – this would not be possible without the continued efforts of our residents. I hope that the new silver bin scheme will see this figure increase in the year's to come."
