Figures reveal amount of rubbish recycled by Calderdale has fallen over last two years

Calderdale Council Recycling information at the recent Halifax Police Station open day

In 2016-2017, the council recycled or composted 46,177 tonnes of all waste, about 53 per cent of the total collected.

These figures are poorer than two years ago, when 63 per cent of the rubbish was recycled.

The data includes the rubbish made up of everyday items that are disposed of by the public at home or on the go.

But despite the decline the figures show that Calderdale's recycling numbers are higher than the national average of 42 per cent.

Calderdale Council’s Communities and Neighbourhood Services, Coun Susan Press, said: “The council does all it can to encourage recycling and we’re pleased that our rate of recycling is well above the national average.

“Recycling is collected weekly throughout the year and since the introduction of the new waste contract in 2016, we collect a much wider variety of items for recycling each week, including plastic pots, tubs and trays, cardboard and smaller electrical items. The amount of recycling collected from Calderdale households has increased in this period by over 2,000 tonnes and we thank residents for their continued support.

“The reduction in our recycling rate is primarily due to the way the residual waste collected in wheeled bins and sacks is processed. The focus of our waste treatment contract is to divert waste from landfill rather than extracting any further recyclable material. Less than 5% of Calderdale’s waste goes to landfill – massively below the national rate. By diverting waste from landfill sites we are achieving environmental and financial benefits whilst also generating energy from the residual waste we produce.

“We continue to work hard to increase recycling rates wherever possible and encourage residents to continue to use the service. By recycling as much as possible we can reduce the amount of residual waste produced and reduce the Council’s waste disposal costs.”

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