12 Feb. 2024: DEFRA has reported a 0.7% dip in household recycling rates in England’s local authorities and the total amount of waste recycled decreased in 2022.
The department has published its ‘Local authority collected waste management – annual results 2022/23’ report, which found:
- Total ‘waste from households’ decreased to 21.5 million tonnes from 2021 when it was 23.1 million tonnes. This is equivalent to 377 kg per person, down from 409 kg per person in 2021, a decrease of 7.9%.
- The amount of residual waste treated was 12.1 million tonnes, down from 12.9 million tonnes in 2021, a decrease of 6%.
- The total amount of waste recycled decreased. In 2022, it was 9.3 million tonnes, down from 10.2 million tonnes in 2021. This was a decrease of 8.6%.
- The amount of dry material recycled in 2022 was 5.5 million tonnes, down by 0.4 million tonnes from 2021, a decrease of 7.1%.
- The tonnage of separately collected food waste sent for recycling was 499 thousand tonnes, a decrease of 2.6% from 512,000 tonnes in 2021.
- ‘Other organic’ waste sent for recycling was 3.3 million tonnes, a decrease of 442,000 tonnes or 12% on 2021.
- The rolling 12-month ‘waste from households’ recycling rate was 43.3% at the end of March 2023. This is a decrease of 0.8% compared with the previous 12-month period. This figure includes IBA metal.
Nathan Gray, head of sustainability at international circular economy specialist Reconomy, said it was ‘hugely disappointing’ that household recycling rates are trending downwards.
“In the week that Ireland introduced its Deposit Return Scheme – which has been proven to boost household recycling rates above 90% in countries where it is in place – the UK’s waste management remains sub-standard.
“Consumers need simpler ways to understand the importance of reducing waste and easier mechanisms through which they can recycle to encourage long-term positive behaviours. Hopefully the government’s Simpler Recycling proposals will be the inflection point that eliminates a throw-away culture and builds a strong foundation for a more sustainable approach to resource management.”
He said a decrease in household waste is positive, although this is likely to be influenced by the unusually hot summer reducing plant growth, workers returning to the office and the cost of living crisis driving down household spend.
“This year’s 2024 Circularity Gap report revealed that the global circularity gap has dropped from 9.1% to 7.2% meaning we continue to consume more virgin, finite resources than ever before at an unsustainable rate.
“It is an urgent necessity for policyholders, waste producers, businesses and consumers to harness the environmental and economic benefits from reducing waste and increasing circularity.”