Recycling rates remain high in Devon but still more to do to meet targets
Devon is in the top three performing counties in the country when it comes to recycling its waste, thanks to many of you who make the effort on a daily basis.
With a recycling rate of 55%, it remains slightly behind Oxfordshire and Leicestershire in the recycling league tables.
Residents in West Devon have the best recycling rate in the county at 57%, followed closely by Teignbridge (56%) and South Hams (54%)
Devon residents are doing very well when it comes to recycling, however householders still produce more waste on average per person when compared to other counties.
Although rates are high, there is still work to be done to reach Devon’s recycling target of 65% by 2025.
Residents in Devon produce 350,000 tonnes of rubbish every year, that’s enough to fill nearly 2,670 average sized swimming pools!
Don’t let Devon go to waste continues its work to improve recycling rates in the county and encouraging residents to reduce, re-use and recycle.
Some of the ways in which people can join in are a clothes swap party, getting involved in a community re-use day or upcycling items like making furniture from unwanted pallets.
Residents can also help by signing up to a mail preference service to stop junk mail and reducing the amount of food they throw away. The Recycle Devon website has more information on these top tips.
Sarah McDonald who started a clothes swap scheme in Exeter says: “I attended a clothes swap at the Exeter Phoenix and thought it was a brilliant idea. I had so many clothes that didn’t fit and were just cluttering up my wardrobe but still felt like I hadn’t anything to wear! Donate some money to charity and get free clothes – it’s a win-win really isn’t it? I attended with a couple of friends and we had a great time browsing and trying on clothes. I came away with less than I’d taken along but I was so happy. I had several new items of clothing which I could wear and more space in my wardrobe.”
The Exeter Clothes Swaps and other events can be found on the Recycle Devon calendar.
Cabinet Member with responsibility for waste, Councillor Roger Croad says: “We want to say a big thank you to all our residents in Devon who are helping to maintain Devon’s excellent recycling rates. However, we still seem to be producing a lot of waste in Devon and any measures to help reduce this are welcome. Devon produces around 350,000 tonnes of household waste every year and around 45% of that goes to landfill. This costs £11 Million every year in landfill tax alone which could be spent on other services.”
Recycling rates for districts:
East Devon – 46%
Exeter City – 35%
Mid Devon – 47%
North Devon – 44%
South Hams – 54%
Teignbridge – 56%
Torridge District – 43%
West Devon – 57%
