Oxfordshire leads the way for recycling

Figures compiled by the Department for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs (Defra) show that Oxfordshire had the lowest amount of residual waste per household in the country. The county was also top of the tables for recycling & composting percentage and dry recycling percentage and where the best performing county council for household waste per head.

Oxfordshire is pursuing a clear vision for sustainable waste management and resource efficiency, working in partnership with the district councils, residents and waste management companies to reduce waste and to maximise reuse, recycling and composting.

The county council topped the table for percentage of household waste sent for recycling, with an overall rate of 59.22%, beating the next council by over 3%. The county also has the lowest amount of household waste being sent to landfill, at just over 420kg per household, this is 40kg better than the next best county.

Recycling has great benefits, not only to reduce the amount of waste thrown away, but also in the energy that is used to process it, for example; recycling 1 aluminium can uses 95% less energy than making a brand new one.

Recycling also can help with energy production. The food waste processing plants at Cassington and Wallingford  use food waste to  produce energy for about 4,800 homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the equivalent of taking 71,000 cars of the road annually.  The facilities also produces fertiliser that can be spread on 2,500 acres of local agricultural land..

Oxford City Council, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire district councils all performed well in the collection figures, rating mostly in the top half of all collection authorities and South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse topping the tables in two separate categories.

Councillor David Nimmo-Smith, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Environment, said: “These figures clearly show that we at Oxfordshire County Council take waste management and recycling extremely seriously and that our planning and investment in this area is bearing fruit. The work of the City and district councils cannot be underestimated and are a vital part of the waste management programme.”

“We would like to thank all the residents who take the time to sort their rubbish and ensure that the right bins are used for the appropriate waste.”

“There is more work to be done and initiatives like the Ardley ERFwill help us reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, which in turn will reduce costs for the council and allow us to invest more into services.”