Recycling hits 17% national target

Rates of recycling and composting of household waste rose 3 percentage points to a record level across England last year, with some councils making dramatic improvements to comply with government targets and avoid fines.

Margaret Beckett, the environment secretary, said she was delighted that the government would meet its 17% national target for the first time, praising "a fantastic response from the public".

There was an extraordinary difference in results, even between neighbouring councils, showing that political will, or lack of it, determines results.

The best was Lichfield in Staffordshire with 46% recycling, up 4 percentage points on last year. Worst was the Isles of Scilly, which recorded no recycling. Ten London boroughs failed to get above 10%, and Liverpool, Trafford, Knowsley and the Wirral were below 7%. Camden in London, with similar problems to other inner city areas but a go-ahead policy, managed 19%.

The greatest disparity was in Northamptonshire, where Daventry was recycling 42%, and Kettering 5%.

With the government giving councils individual targets, and fines of £150 a tonne from this April, the message has teeth. Mrs Beckett warned that the government would act, since single figure percentages "are no longer acceptable".

Green and not so green

Percentage of household rubbish recycled and composted 2003-04

Top 10


Lichfield (Staffordshire) 46
Daventry (Northamptonshire) 42
East Hampshire 36
St Edmundsbury (Suffolk) 35
Isle of Wight 35
Forest Heath (Suffolk) 33
Melton (Leicestershire) 31
Eastleigh (Hampshire) 31
Canterbury (Kent) 30
Horsham (Sussex) 30

Bottom 10


Isles of Scilly 0
Liverpool city 4
Tower Hamlets (London) 5
Kettering (Northamptonshire) 5
Newham (London) 6
Oldham 6
Rochdale (Lancashire) 6
Hackney (London) 7
Barking and Dagenham (London) 7
Sunderland (Tyne and Wear) 7