Somerset’s green-minded residents have helped the county climb into the top 30 councils for recycling.

In Defra’s recently published league tables, Somerset’s 2021-2022 recycling rate of 56.2% ranks it 28 out of 228 local authorities – putting it in the top 15%.

In 2020-21 Somerset ranked 59 out of 228, with a recycling rate of 52.4%.

And, with the full impact of Recycle More’s expanded collections yet to be felt, Somerset Council is confident that the 2022-23 figures will see if climb even further.

The Council is committed to a greener, more sustainable county working hard to help homeowners recycle more and waste less.

In 2021-22, almost 150,000 tonnes of waste was recycled or reused, saving around 133,000 tonnes of carbon – the equivalent of taking more than 51,000 cars off the road for a year.

Of that, 97.2% was recycled into new products and package in the UK. Of the 5,771 tonnes of plastics collected, 99.4% were reprocessed in the UK.

Councillor Sarah Dyke, Lead Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: “Recycling is a small thing that we can all do to make a difference every day, and I’d like to thank everyone who has helped us achieve these great results.

“Taking the time to separate your recycling and put it in the right boxes and bag is what makes it possible for us to recycle more and recycle more close to home.”

Somerset’s hard-working crews make more than 350,000 collections a week. For more information about what happens to the recycling they collect, check the Somerset Recycling Tracker on the Somerset Council website somerset.gov.uk/waste.

For more information and news about Somerset Council’s Waste Services visit somerset.gov.uk/waste and follow @somersetwaste on Facebook and Twitter.