Wales outdoes England in recycling rate race
Wednesday, June 8, 2016 - 12:36:08
This month it was announced that recycling rates in Wales had hit 59 per cent, putting it in a significant position of superiority over England, which has actually seen the sustainable disposal of waste fall slightly in the past year.
This is according to official figures from DEFRA, which indicated that in England just 44.3 per cent of waste is recycled, down by almost an entire percentage point compared with the previous year.
This news has been greeted with anger by campaigners at Keep Britain Tidy, with a statement issued by the charity complaining that England is lagging behind while Wales is steaming ahead towards ever more impressive recycling goals.
A number of factors are cited as being influential in helping Wales to outdo other parts of the UK when it comes to recycling. This includes the nationally applicable requirement for food waste collection to be available to residents, as well as scheduled collections which are generally more consistent across the board.
Meanwhile in England, the rules on recycling and the availability of services can vary depending on the council that is in charge of running them. Campaigners argue that it is necessary for the English approach to be altered so that it more closely mirrors the Welsh culture of recycling.
The Welsh Assembly has laid out plans to work towards a time where waste is completely eliminated, with fines levelled against councils which fail to meet targets. The majority of councils have already achieved recycling rates of at least 58 per cent.
However in England, there is an uphill struggle faced as the country attempts to make improvements to recycling in order to hit the 50 per cent rate required by EU directives in time for 2020 - an achievement that may not be possible unless major changes are implemented.
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