Figures announced at the start of February for the first quarter of 2011/12 (April-June 2011) showed that 44% of household waste was sent for recycling, compost and reuse. When analysed over the course of the rolling year to minimise the effect of any seasonal fluctuations, this means that 42% was recycled between July 2010 and June 2011.

This represents a two percent rise compared to the same time the year before, with a 360,000 tonne fall in the amount of waste produced, and a 1.2 million tonne drop in the amount of waste sent by local authorities to landfill.

Recycling Minister, Lord Taylor announced the increase and said: “Over the last ten years recycling has become part of our daily lives. We’re recycling more than ever before, which means less waste is now being sent to lie rotting in landfill.”
The East of England had the highest average household waste recycling rate at 49.06%, and London had the lowest at 32.09%.