Household recycling increased by 20% during lockdown

Household recycling rates have increased by up to 20% during lockdown, according to new data gathered by recycling initiative Every Can Counts in conjunction with local councils. 

Figures from Powys Council in Wales reported an average 20% increase in weekly tonnage of recycling in the first four weeks of lockdown.

Further South, data from 12 districts in Kent showed that 650,000 households are responsible for an 18% increase in recycling tonnage in March 2020.

In East Devon, statistics from the district council also revealed an increase of 16% in kerbside recycling collected in March, this equates to a 240-tonne increase from the same period in 2019.

Chris Latham-Warde, programme manager at Every Can Counts Programme Manager said: ‘We are hugely encouraged by the data. We’d like to thank and congratulate the British public and celebrate that so much more
recycling is being collected at kerbside – it’s good news for councils and good news for the planet.

‘Now, more than ever, we must try to live more sustainably.

‘Every Can Counts also wants to thank the waste and recycling workers across the country who are
working tirelessly with a depleted workforce. These impressive figures are only possible because of
their continued hard work. To them, we say a huge thank you.’

Paldeep Bhatti, manager of the Kent Resource Partnership, added: ‘Similar to many areas across the UK, we too are experiencing high volumes of recycling via our kerbside collection services during this
pandemic.

‘We are encouraged that our residents have stayed at home and fully maximised their
recycling kerbside services. Our ambition is to build on this resource-efficient behaviour, especially as we begin to move to a ‘new normal’ way of life for us all in the future.’

In related news, a report published last month (May 12) has said England needs to implement ‘significant change’ to the way that plastic packaging is recycled if it is to meet its aim of eliminating avoidable plastic waste by 2043.

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