Recycling statistics are put together by local authorities and government agencies in order to assess whether targets are being met and to determine the scale of recycling in terms of the location and product type. A wide range of recycling statistics are compiled by DEFRA each year and a few recent ones are given below.
RECYCLING STATISTICS
- The proportion of our household waste which is being recycled is increasing.
- In 2005/06 household recycling rates were at 26.7%.
- 6.8 million tonnes of waste were sent for recycling or composting in 2005/06 compared to 2.8 million tonnes in 2000/01.
- Compost is the largest component of our recyclable waste at 36%.
- The amount of co-mingled collections (i.e. when different recyclable products are collected in one bin or box) is on the increase and hit 13% in 2005/06.
For more official and up-to-date recycling statistics visit the DEFRA website.
Our Recycling Facts page has some more interesting recycling statistics including:
- On average every person in the UK throws away their own body weight in rubbish every seven weeks.
- Once an aluminium can is recycled it can be part of new can within six weeks.
- It takes just 25 two litre drink bottles to make one adult size fleece.
You may also wish to speak to your local authority about their recycling targets and statistics. Visit our Local Recycling page to find your local recycling website.
Look at the following websites for more recycling statistics and facts: Recycle More Recycling Guide Recycle Now
For further information on Recycling click on the links below
