THE BOROUGH had the second-largest increase in recycling rates across England last year, according to government data.
The recycling rate jumped to 50.3% according to data for 2019-20 from DEFRA.
The council believes its food waste service, introduced in April 2019, is the cause.
The Isles of Scilly saw the greatest increase, of 11.2 percentage points. And only four councils in England increased their recycling by more than five percentage points.
“We know our residents have really embraced our food waste recycling service with just over half of households now using it on a regular basis,” said Cllr Parry Batth, executive member for environment and leisure. “I’d like to thank every resident who makes the effort on a daily basis with their food peelings, meat bones and other items, which is the cause of this huge jump in recycling rates.
“This data showcases the huge impact it has had on recycling rates in our borough and it’s a trend we hope to see continue in the years ahead. If we can get even more residents to start using the service regularly we will see even more of a positive impact so go onto our website to find out more.”
Since the collections started, more than 9,000 tonnes of food waste has been recycled.
