Household Waste Recycling Rates

Table shows the proportion of collected household waste which is recycled or composted.

Figures for 2004/5 were taken from the London Councils organisation as DEFRA do not list complete LA level statistics for this year.

From 1998/99 to 2003/04 estimates for household waste recycling (including composting) rates are based on data supplied to the annual DEFRA Municipal Waste Management Survey.

From 1998/99 to 2001/02 figures revised since previous  publication. Recycling/composting rates for 1998-99 were first published in Annex A of "Guidance in Municipal Waste Management Strategies" published by DETR in March 2001 and 1999/00 rates in Annex B of the consultation paper on "Distribution of the £140 Million Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund", available from http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment

The recycling rate is calculated as set out below.

For Waste Collection Authorities (WCA) and Unitary Authorities (UA):
X/Y x 100, where:
X = Tonnage of household waste collected by the WCA or UA which is sent for recycling/composting (including private/voluntary collections of household waste for recycling)
Y = Total tonnage of household waste collected by the WCA or UA (including private/voluntary collections of household waste for recycling)

For Waste Disposal Authorities (WDA):
X/Y x 100, where:
X = Tonnage of household waste collected by the WDA which is sent for recycling plus tonnage of household waste which is sent for recycling by the constituent WCAs (including private/voluntary collections of household waste for recycling)
Y = Total tonnage of household waste collected at Civic Amenity sites by the WDA plus total tonnage of household waste collected by constituent WCAs (including private/voluntary collections of household waste for recycling)

Local authority waste data for 2009/10 can be downloaded from DEFRA http://www.defra.gov.uk/statistics/files/mwb200910a.xls