MORE waste from Tendring households was recycled last year, as council ‘welcomes’ the new figures.

Figures from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) show 21,371 tonnes of household waste were recycled in Tendring – 40.4 per cent of all rubbish.

This is a slight increase from a recycling rate of 40.2 per cent in 2020-21.

Damian Williams, corporate director for operations and delivery at Tendring Council, welcomed the increase in recycling rates.

He said: “Our recycling rate increased significantly four years ago when we introduced our new waste system.

“It is pleasing to see this rate is continuing to go up, albeit more slowly, as households continue to recycle their rubbish.”

A Local Government Association (LGA) spokesman said households have made a ‘real shift’ to ensure they are recycling as much as possible while councils work hard to share information on what can be recycled.

They added councils are trying to achieve net zero with “one hand tied behind their back" as manufacturers continue to produce plastic that cannot be disposed of sustainably.

The spokesman said: “The burden then falls on councils to not only collect it and dispose of plastic, but to pay the extra cost of disposing of it.”

It is estimated that five tonnes of household waste were rejected from being recycled after being placed in the wrong bin in the year to April 2022.

This is up from three tonnes the year before and up from 0 tonnes in 2014-15 when local records of rejects began.

Rejected waste material can be turned away from recycling due to contamination by water, dirt, or chemical treatments such as preservatives or paint.

Mr Williams added: “There is plenty of information available for households who would like to do more in terms of recycling.

“While we would always remind people that recycling is just one piece of work to lessen the environmental impact of waste.

“It is also important that people look to reduce the amount of waste generated full stop, and also re-use items where possible.”

For more information on recycling in Tendring visit tendringdc.gov.uk/recycling-and-rubbish.