East Devon residents have been proclaimed as the county’s recycling champions – and among the best in England.
The 70,000 households in places like Exmouth, Honiton, Sidmouth, Ottery St Mary and Budleigh Salterton now recycle 59 per cent of their rubbish, according to statistics.
Devon-wide figures show the district’s recycling rate has increased by five per cent in the past year and more than 13 per cent since 2017.
East Devon could make it into the top 20 best recycling authorities out of 351 local authorities nationally if participation remains high.
Residents in the district also throw away less than most other areas annually – with the 126.8kg of waste hailed as the second lowest in the country.
Cllr Geoff Jung, East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) portfolio holder for the environment, said: “It’s brilliant news that our residents are the top recycling performers in Devon. They thoroughly deserve this accolade as they show their commitment to recycling their waste week in, week out.
“Huge credit must go to all involved, including our recycling team, councillors and contractors SUEZ, in helping recycle such a high proportion of our domestic waste.
“These recycling items are a valuable resource which once processed are used as raw materials for manufacturing or as compost for our farmers.
“It’s a clear contribution to a circular economy and contributes to our zero-carbon target. A big thank you to everyone involved.”
EDDC introduced an extended service two years ago, enabling residents to recycle including mixed plastics, cartons and cardboard in week kerbside collections.
The move saw wheelie bin collections changed to once every three weeks.
More than 10,000 households have also signed up to the council’s fortnightly green waste collections, which cost £48 a year.
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