We have new data revealing Britain’s best and worst recyclers. You can view this data in the table at the bottom of the blog post.
We gathered this data over the six-month
time period January 1st 2021 to June 30th 2021. Of the 177 local authorities
approached across England, Scotland and Wales, 126 responded.
The top five regions in Britain for recycling are:
1st - Bridgend, Wales – 88.50% of all local ‘tip’ waste was able to be recycled
2nd - Cardiff, Wales – 88.5% of all local ‘tip’ waste was able to be recycled
3rd - North Ayrshire, Scotland – 85.84% of all local ‘tip’ waste was able to be recycled
4th - Caerphilly, Wales – 85.39% of all local ‘tip’ waste was able to be recycled
5th - County Durham, England – 85.17% of all local ‘tip’ waste was able to be recycled
The worst offenders were Wokingham with a paltry 31.5 percent of waste on average recycled over the six-month period.
The bottom five regions in Britain for recycling are:
…122nd - Southampton – 33.87% of all local ‘tip’ waste was able to be recycled
123rd - Northamptonshire – 33.51% of all local ‘tip’ waste was able to be recycled
124th - North Yorkshire – 32.17% of all local ‘tip’ waste was able to be recycled
125th - Wiltshire – 32% of all local ‘tip’ waste was able to be recycled
126th - Wokingham – 31.5% of all local ‘tip’ waste was able to be recycled
| Rank | Region | Authority | Jan-21 | Feb-21 | Mar-21 | Apr-21 | May-21 | Jun-21 | Six month average |
| 1 | Wales | Bridgend County Borough Council | 85.19% | 86.44% | 90.26% | 90.88% | 89.94% | 88.30% | 88.50% |
| 2 | Wales | Cardiff Council | 88.00% | 87.00% | 89.00% | 90.00% | 88.00% | 89.00% | 88.50% |
| 3 | Scotland | North Ayrshire Council | 82.91% | 83.87% | 86.56% | 87.28% | 86.82% | 87.60% | 85.84% |
| 4 | Wales | Caerphilly County Borough Council | 82.89% | 83.56% | 85.61% | 86.85% | 86.04% | 87.39% | 85.39% |
| 5 | England | County Durham | 79.00% | 82.00% | 88.00% | 89.00% | 86.00% | 87.00% | 85.17% |
| 6 | Wales | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council | 82.07% | 83.19% | 86.21% | 87.44% | 84.64% | 86.34% | 84.98% |
| 7 | Wales | Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council | 82.50% | 78.50% | 84.00% | 82.50% | 85.00% | 85.50% | 83.00% |
| 8 | Wales | Torfaen County Borough Council | 74.61% | 74.41% | 77.83% | 81.25% | 88.50% | 87.07% | 80.61% |
| 9 | Wales | Conwy County Borough Council | 80.00% | 74.50% | 82.50% | 82.50% | 78.00% | 85.00% | 80.42% |
| 10 | England | Isle of Wight Council | 85.69% | 84.17% | 81.24% | 77.00% | 75.86% | 76.76% | 80.12% |
| 11 | Wales | Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council | 85.47% | 83.32% | 86.14% | 85.52% | 63.31% | 72.33% | 79.35% |
| 12 | Wales | Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council | 71.92% | 77.73% | 92.02% | 74.68% | 78.88% | 80.26% | 79.25% |
| 13 | Wales | Vale of Glamorgan Council | 77.62% | 74.80% | 77.07% | 80.17% | 77.84% | 79.63% | 77.86% |
| 14 | Wales | Gwynedd County Council | 75.00% | 73.00% | 77.00% | 83.00% | 81.00% | 78.00% | 77.83% |
| 15 | England | East Riding of Yorkshire Council | 69.61% | 74.03% | 79.63% | 80.30% | 79.24% | 81.17% | 77.33% |
| 16 | England | Nottinghamshire County Council | TBC | 73.00% | 77.30% | 77.80% | 77.40% | 78.90% | 76.88% |
| 17 | England | Greenwich LB | 86.99% | 88.19% | 88.99% | 63.79% | 67.17% | 65.24% | 76.73% |
| 18 | Scotland | Scottish Borders Council | 79.00% | 69.00% | 77.00% | 77.00% | 77.00% | 79.00% | 76.33% |
| 19 | England | Cambridgeshire County Council | TBC | 69.90% | 76.74% | 78.26% | 76.46% | 78.75% | 76.02% |
| 20 | Wales | Ceredigion County Council | 72.40% | 73.00% | 75.70% | 78.50% | 76.70% | 78.40% | 75.78% |
| 21 | Scotland | Clackmannanshire Council | 73.00% | 75.00% | 71.00% | 78.00% | 77.00% | 78.00% | 75.33% |
| 22 | England | Merseyside WDA (MBC) | 65.90% | 73.00% | 77.70% | 78.60% | 77.80% | 76.80% | 74.97% |
| 23 | England | Suffolk County Council | TBC | 70.20% | 75.00% | 76.00% | 75.00% | 76.90% | 74.62% |
| 24 | Scotland | Dumfries & Galloway Council | 71.00% | 72.00% | 74.00% | 78.00% | 76.00% | 76.00% | 74.50% |
| 25 | England | Herefordshire Council | 73.84% | 73.81% | 73.80% | 72.79% | 73.57% | 73.83% | 73.61% |
| 26 | England | Rutland County Council | 61.00% | 70.00% | 70.00% | 75.00% | 76.00% | 84.00% | 72.67% |
| 27 | England | Halton Borough Council | 61.00% | 69.00% | 76.00% | 79.00% | 75.00% | 75.00% | 72.50% |
| 28 | England | Devon County Council | 70.54% | 70.51% | 74.50% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 71.85% |
| 29 | England | Sheffield City Council | 62.00% | 65.00% | 73.00% | 76.00% | 76.00% | 79.00% | 71.83% |
| 30 | England | Wakefield City MDC | 61.95% | 69.36% | 75.07% | 72.55% | 74.44% | 74.15% | 71.25% |
| 31 | Wales | Pembrokeshire County Council | 70.20% | 70.20% | 70.20% | 71.50% | 71.50% | 71.50% | 70.85% |
| 32 | England | Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council | 74.55% | 65.84% | 70.32% | TBC | TBC | TBC | 70.24% |
| 33 | England | Cumbria County Council | 62.70% | 67.10% | 72.20% | 72.80% | 70.60% | 71.90% | 69.55% |
| 34 | Scotland | Perth and Kinross Council | 64.00% | 64.00% | 64.00% | 75.00% | 75.00% | 75.00% | 69.50% |
| 35 | England | Lincolnshire County Council | 61.59% | 65.00% | 72.37% | 70.03% | 70.94% | 73.32% | 68.88% |
| 36 | England | Warrington Borough Council | 61.52% | 67.13% | 69.98% | 69.36% | 68.32% | 73.46% | 68.30% |
| 37 | England | Bracknell Forest Borough Council | 62.90% | 77.30% | 64.90% | 63.50% | 71.20% | 66.40% | 67.70% |
| 38 | England | Peterborough City Council | 59.37% | 58.95% | 68.54% | 71.90% | 70.24% | 76.13% | 67.52% |
| 39 | England | Oxfordshire County Council | 66.42% | 64.67% | 69.74% | 64.84% | 67.55% | 71.43% | 67.44% |
| 40 | Wales | Monmouthshire County Council | 67.26% | 67.26% | 67.26% | 67.57% | 67.57% | 67.57% | 67.42% |
| 41 | England | Doncaster MBC | 58.65% | 62.19% | 71.41% | 71.94% | 67.91% | 71.81% | 67.32% |
| 42 | England | York City Council | 62.79% | 67.07% | 68.61% | 68.07% | 66.00% | 70.01% | 67.09% |
| 43 | England | Dorset Council | 63.28% | 62.33% | 68.49% | 67.71% | 66.75% | 70.60% | 66.53% |
| 44 | England | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council | 59.00% | 61.00% | 69.00% | 69.00% | 71.00% | 70.00% | 66.50% |
| 45 | England | West Sussex County Council | 69.14% | 62.96% | 67.09% | 65.87% | 62.89% | 69.90% | 66.31% |
| 46 | England | Rotherham MBC | 54.60% | 59.69% | 66.25% | 71.50% | 65.58% | 73.08% | 65.12% |
| 47 | England | North Lincolnshire Council | 66.60% | 58.33% | 64.51% | 64.60% | 64.63% | 70.85% | 64.92% |
| 48 | England | Bath and North East Somerset Council | 61.00% | 59.00% | 65.00% | 70.00% | 65.00% | 69.00% | 64.83% |
| 49 | England | Bradford City MDC (MBC) | TBC | TBC | TBC | 64.00% | 64.00% | 66.00% | 64.67% |
| 50 | England | South Tyneside MBC | 57.00% | 61.80% | 67.10% | 68.30% | 66.20% | 66.80% | 64.53% |
| 51 | England | Gateshead MBC | 55.40% | 58.40% | 66.65% | 70.50% | 66.05% | 69.85% | 64.48% |
| 52 | England | Coventry City Council | 63.41% | 62.99% | 63.01% | 65.86% | 65.22% | 65.94% | 64.41% |
| 53 | Scotland | Angus Council | 52.72% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 68.98% | 64.31% |
| 54 | England | Dudley MBC | 54.10% | 59.80% | 66.70% | 67.90% | 65.40% | 70.10% | 64.00% |
| 55 | England | Hertfordshire County Council | TBC | 61.00% | 62.90% | 64.40% | 65.70% | 65.50% | 63.90% |
| 56 | Scotland | Aberdeenshire Council | 56.00% | 50.00% | 70.00% | 67.00% | 68.00% | 72.00% | 63.83% |
| 57 | England | South Gloucestershire Council | 48.96% | 60.42% | 66.73% | 70.77% | 63.07% | 72.28% | 63.71% |
| 58 | Scotland | The City of Edinburgh Council | 58.11% | 58.02% | 64.00% | 64.22% | 65.81% | 71.55% | 63.62% |
| 59 | England | Darlington Borough Council | 48.29% | 49.10% | 68.97% | 71.67% | 69.13% | 73.47% | 63.44% |
| 60 | England | Wigan MBC | 52.46% | 60.21% | 65.18% | 67.47% | 62.82% | 70.02% | 63.03% |
| 61 | England | Merton LB | 56.98% | 56.94% | 65.11% | 67.39% | 64.33% | 67.30% | 63.01% |
| 62 | England | Northumberland | 62.90% | 62.90% | 62.90% | 62.90% | 62.90% | 62.90% | 62.90% |
| 63 | England | Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council MBC | 54.50% | 58.27% | 68.30% | 65.60% | 62.23% | 67.27% | 62.70% |
| 64 | England | Mendip District Council | 59.88% | 59.12% | 65.42% | 61.37% | 60.88% | 67.67% | 62.39% |
| 65 | England | Leeds City Council MBC | 59.54% | 61.38% | 66.04% | TBC | TBC | TBC | 62.32% |
| 66 | England | Kent County Council | 51.00% | 54.00% | 64.00% | 65.00% | 66.00% | 72.00% | 62.00% |
| 67 | Scotland | Falkirk Council | 56.00% | 55.00% | 66.00% | 67.00% | 65.00% | 63.00% | 62.00% |
| 68 | England | North Somerset Council | 54.92% | 59.65% | 59.67% | 66.22% | 64.27% | 67.19% | 61.99% |
| 69 | England | Staffordshire County Council | 56.60% | 60.15% | 67.34% | 62.12% | 58.91% | 65.17% | 61.72% |
| 70 | England | Leicester City Council | 57.23% | 57.95% | 62.27% | 64.09% | 59.88% | 67.00% | 61.40% |
| 71 | England | Worcestershire County Council | 61.00% | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | 61.00% |
| 72 | England | Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames | 54.90% | 58.33% | 60.84% | 63.36% | 62.90% | 64.70% | 60.84% |
| 73 | England | Shropshire | 48.00% | 56.00% | 63.00% | 66.00% | 66.00% | 65.00% | 60.67% |
| 74 | England | Southwark LB | 58.38% | 55.97% | 60.90% | 59.47% | 61.40% | 66.38% | 60.42% |
| 75 | England | Sutton LB | 55.63% | 55.72% | 61.40% | 63.06% | 62.71% | 63.66% | 60.36% |
| 76 | England | Essex County Council | TBC | 50.10% | 64.05% | 61.12% | 60.30% | 65.61% | 60.24% |
| 77 | England | Walsall MBC | 47.18% | 56.66% | 61.56% | 64.79% | 63.13% | 67.06% | 60.06% |
| 78 | England | Birmingham City Council | 57.95% | 55.24% | 58.47% | 62.11% | 63.24% | 62.53% | 59.92% |
| 79 | England | Cheshire East | 50.90% | 56.00% | 64.00% | 61.50% | 61.00% | 65.10% | 59.75% |
| 80 | England | Norfolk County Council | TBC | 54.00% | 57.84% | 60.62% | 59.68% | 63.29% | 59.09% |
| 81 | England | Somerset County Council | 58.91% | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | 58.91% |
| 82 | England | Plymouth City Council | 50.50% | 54.50% | 58.50% | 63.00% | 59.50% | 65.50% | 58.58% |
| 83 | Scotland | South Lanarkshire Council | 41.66% | 48.94% | 60.54% | 65.22% | 64.16% | 65.76% | 57.71% |
| 84 | England | Western Riverside Waste Authority | 56.72% | 52.92% | 56.37% | 57.03% | 57.28% | 57.96% | 56.38% |
| 85 | England | Warwickshire County Council | 51.40% | 50.90% | 56.10% | 60.20% | 60.10% | 59.40% | 56.35% |
| 86 | England | Calderdale MBC | 46.00% | 51.00% | 59.00% | 61.00% | 56.00% | 65.00% | 56.33% |
| 87 | England | Sunderland City Council | 45.40% | 50.50% | 58.40% | 60.50% | 59.10% | 62.40% | 56.05% |
| 88 | England | Leicestershire County Council | TBC | 49.00% | 62.00% | 56.00% | 54.00% | TBC | 55.25% |
| 89 | England | Thurrock Council | 66.63% | 70.62% | 75.65% | 39.12% | 33.98% | 45.28% | 55.21% |
| 90 | England | Cheshire West and Chester | 44.10% | 52.12% | 59.11% | 59.66% | 54.64% | 61.17% | 55.13% |
| 91 | England | Barnsley MBC | 40.00% | 43.00% | 54.00% | 61.00% | 59.00% | 70.00% | 54.50% |
| 92 | Scotland | East Ayrshire Council | 55.00% | 55.00% | 55.00% | 53.00% | 53.00% | 53.00% | 54.00% |
| 93 | England | Milton Keynes Council | 51.83% | 55.67% | 58.16% | 51.53% | 53.19% | 53.57% | 53.99% |
| 94 | England | Lancashire County Council | 42.50% | 50.00% | 53.00% | 57.00% | 60.00% | 61.00% | 53.92% |
| 95 | Scotland | Fife Council | 45.00% | 44.00% | 56.00% | 58.00% | 57.00% | 59.00% | 53.17% |
| 96 | England | North East Lincolnshire Council | 40.50% | 46.00% | 53.50% | 55.50% | 55.00% | 59.50% | 51.67% |
| 97 | Scotland | Stirling Council | 36.65% | 46.63% | 52.48% | 53.52% | 59.08% | 56.62% | 50.83% |
| 98 | England | Telford and Wrekin Council | 43.99% | 46.11% | 48.42% | 52.22% | 53.99% | 55.31% | 50.01% |
| 99 | Scotland | Midlothian Council | 41.90% | 41.90% | 41.90% | 57.90% | 57.90% | 57.90% | 49.90% |
| 100 | England | Stoke-on-Trent City Council | 39.00% | 44.00% | 55.00% | 53.00% | 51.00% | 55.00% | 49.50% |
| 101 | England | Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council | 38.19% | 39.43% | 44.47% | 57.98% | 58.09% | 51.60% | 48.29% |
| 102 | England | North Tyneside Council | 37.10% | 39.90% | 52.60% | 56.10% | 48.00% | 49.70% | 47.23% |
| 103 | England | Derbyshire County Council | 45.00% | 41.00% | 48.00% | 50.00% | 47.00% | 52.00% | 47.17% |
| 104 | England | Derby City Council | 43.50% | 45.22% | 47.33% | 49.32% | 46.45% | 49.94% | 46.96% |
| 105 | Scotland | Aberdeen City Council | 37.63% | 39.04% | 50.63% | 52.36% | 48.79% | 53.04% | 46.92% |
| 106 | England | Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council | 42.11% | 45.55% | 47.39% | 45.93% | 45.31% | 43.17% | 44.91% |
| 107 | England | Hampshire County Council | TBC | 35.01% | 44.25% | 43.53% | 45.59% | 49.68% | 43.61% |
| 108 | England | Cornwall | 38.65% | 37.75% | 43.31% | 45.85% | 42.79% | 49.89% | 43.04% |
| 109 | England | Brighton and Hove Council | 45.00% | 48.00% | 56.00% | 52.00% | 56.00% | 0.00% | 42.83% |
| 110 | England | East Sussex County Council | TBC | 36.00% | 45.00% | 42.00% | 45.00% | TBC | 42.00% |
| 111 | England | Surrey County Council | 42.00% | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | 42.00% |
| 112 | England | Kirklees MBC | 29.04% | 32.84% | 41.68% | 44.96% | 45.38% | 55.27% | 41.53% |
| 113 | England | Swindon Borough Council | 48.00% | 38.00% | 40.00% | 37.00% | 42.00% | 37.00% | 40.33% |
| 114 | England | Gloucestershire County Council | TBC | 35.49% | 39.16% | 40.76% | 40.57% | 42.64% | 39.72% |
| 115 | England | Solihull MBC | 37.66% | 36.35% | 41.31% | 41.70% | 41.59% | 0.00% | 39.72% |
| 116 | Scotland | Dundee City Council | 30.50% | 25.00% | 35.00% | 33.50% | 39.50% | 51.50% | 35.83% |
| 117 | England | Bedford | 33.11% | 32.87% | 38.23% | 39.66% | 32.14% | 36.59% | 35.43% |
| 118 | England | Bromley LB | 38.50% | 36.50% | 25.00% | 50.00% | 29.00% | 31.00% | 35.00% |
| 119 | Scotland | East Dunbartonshire Council | 33.21% | 37.17% | 31.80% | 31.65% | 27.31% | 44.96% | 34.35% |
| 120 | England | West London Waste Authority | 32.00% | 31.00% | 37.00% | 33.00% | 34.00% | 38.00% | 34.17% |
| 121 | England | Portsmouth City Council | 29.49% | 28.00% | 36.43% | 35.05% | 38.22% | 37.77% | 34.16% |
| 122 | England | Southampton City Council | 31.14% | 27.20% | 36.39% | 26.93% | 40.14% | 41.40% | 33.87% |
| 123 | England | Northamptonshire County Council | 33.51% | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | TBC | 33.51% |
| 124 | England | North Yorkshire County Council | 58.00% | 28.00% | 26.00% | 28.00% | 27.00% | 26.00% | 32.17% |
| 125 | England | Wiltshire | 32.00% | 31.00% | 31.00% | 32.00% | 30.00% | 36.00% | 32.00% |
| 126 | England | Wokingham Council | 30.00% | 30.00% | 30.00% | 33.00% | 33.00% | 33.00% | 31.50% |
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