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In 2006/07 local authorities in England reported that just over eight million tonnes of household waste (30.9 per cent of total household waste) was diverted for recycling or composting through schemes run by local authorities or organisations working in partnership with them.
The amount of household waste not re-used, recycled or composted was 17.9 million tonnes, a decrease of 4.2 per cent from 2005/6, showing progress towards the 2010 target, in the Government’s Waste Strategy of 2007, of reducing this amount to 15.8 million tonnes.
Defra reports that there has been a change in the volume and composition of recycled waste over time. Overall, since 1997/8, total recycling from households has more than quadrupled from 1.9m tonnes to around 8.1m tonnes. In terms of composition, paper and card used to be the largest component, making up 37 per cent of the total, followed by compost (20 per cent) and glass (18 per cent).However, by 2006/07 compost has become the largest component (36 per cent of the total) with the next largest being paper and card (19 per cent) followed by co-mingled mixed recycling (15 per cent).
Co-mingled collections - the collection of a number of recyclable materials in the same box or bin, for example paper, cans, plastics - have become more widespread in recent years, with collection of waste in this way only being recorded since 2000/01.
|
Tonnes (Thousand) |
% |
|
|
|
Compost |
2895 |
36 |
|
Paper & Card |
1535 |
19 |
|
Co-mingled |
1241 |
15 |
|
Other |
951 |
12 |
|
Glass |
840 |
10 |
|
Scrap/White Goods |
601 |
7 |
|
|
|
Total |
8063 |
100 |
Source: Defra 2007 Link to Defra statistics page Link to Defra excel data | 
