The Government looks set to miss its target to recycle and compost at least 25% of household waste by 2005, according to figures released today by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) [1]. The report shows that 89 local councils in England failed to improve their rate of recycling between 2001/2 and 2002/3, with the overall national recycling rate increasing by just two per cent [2]. The rate of increase would need to double year on year for targets to be met.

One in ten councils are still not recycling more than five per cent of their household waste, the report shows [3], although the best practice councils have reached up to 44 per cent [4]. Poor performing

councils must at least double their rate of recycling within the next year if they are to meet government-set targets of 10 per cent by 2003/04. According to the figures, some 30 local authorities recycled less in 2002/03 than in the previous year [5].

In a recent report, Friends of the Earth highlighted a number of councils who have put in place good practice recycling schemes [6].

Friends of the Earth is calling for more funding for local authorities to boost their recycling rates. The environmental campaign group estimates that an increase of 200 million a year would ensure a

decent recycling and compost service for every household. But it also wants to see penalties imposed on councils that fail to meet their targets.

Friends of the Earth's Waste Campaigner, Georgina Bloomfield said:

"The Government is running out of time to reach their own unambitious recycling targets. Local Authorities desperately need more funding to reach the Government's targets. And the Government must make it clear that local authorities who consistently fail to improve their recycling rates will be penalised."

Notes and Recycling Tips:

[1] Municipal Waste Management Survey 2003/03, DEFRA, 11/08/04

[2] The national recycling rate is now 14.5 per cent. The target for

2003/04 is 17 per cent.

[3] Councils recycling five per cent or less of their waste in 2002/03 Figures may have improved since the figures were reported.

Ashfield District Council 4%

London Borough of Barking & Dagenham 3%

Bolsover District Council 3%

Chester-Le-Street District Council 5%

Copeland Borough Council 5%

Corby Borough Council 5%

Easington District Council 4%

Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council 5%

Great Yarmouth Borough Council 5%

London Borough of Hackney 3%

London Borough of Haringey 5%

London Borough of Havering 5%

Kettering Borough Council 4%

Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council 4%

Liverpool City Council 2%

London Corporation 1%

Macclesfield Borough Council 5%

Manchester City Council 2%

Mansfield District Council 4%

Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council 5%

Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Metropolitan Borough Council 4%

London Borough of Newham 5%

North East Derbyshire District Council 5%

North Tyneside Council 4%

North Warwickshire Borough Council 4%

Nottingham City Council 5%

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council 4%

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council 3%

Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council 3%

Salford City Council 5%

Sheffield City Council 5%

South Staffordshire Council 5%

London Borough of Southwark 4%

St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council 5%

Sunderland City Council 2%

London Borough of Tower Hamlets 3%

Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council 4%

West Wiltshire District Council 5%

[4] Daventry District Council recycles 44.4 per cent.

[5] The authorities recycling less than the previous year are:

Babergh District Council

Bournemouth Borough Council

Castle Morpeth Borough Council

Charnwood Borough Council

Cherwell District Council

Chiltern District Council

Cotswold District Council

Dacorum Borough Council

Easington District Council

East Lindsey District Council

Erewash Borough Council

Forest Heath District Council

London Borough of Harrow

London Borough of Havering

Isles of Scilly Council

Kennet District Council

Macclesfield Borough Council

Manchester City Council

Mansfield District Council

North Warwickshire Borough Council

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

Scarborough Borough Council

Stafford Borough Council

Test Valley Borough Council

Three Rivers District Council

Thurrock Council

Wiltshire County Council

Wokingham Council

Worcester City Council

Wyre Forest District Council

[6] Doorstep recycling - A good practice guide and local authority case studies

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/reports/doorstep_recycling_good_practice.pdf

Ten Tips for Reducing Your Waste

1. Use your kerbside recycling scheme, if you have one, as provided for under the new Household Waste Recycling Act.

2. Use civic amenity sites for materials not collected in your doorstep service. You can find out where your nearest collection point is for a wide range of materials at Waste Connect, see www.wastepoint.co.uk

3. Home compost your garden and kitchen waste - most councils now offer advice and free or subsidised bins.

4. Avoid over-packaged goods - buy loose fruit and vegetables where possible.

5. Avoid disposable batteries - use rechargeable ones with solar powered rechargers.

6. Buy cotton cloths for the kitchen clean-up instead of disposable kitchen roll.

7. Buy refills for sturdy packs of washing powders, liquids, salt, etc.

8. Use a milk delivery service - the glass bottle kind - if there's one in your area.

9. Repair your electrical appliances and buy reconditioned goods from organisations such as CREATE (London, tel: 0208 885 6209; Liverpool tel: 0151 448 1748).

10. Take old clothes to your local charity shop or recycle clothes that cannot be worn again in a clothing bank.

Find more tips at: www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/waste/news/50_waste_tips.html