Department of the Environment has below average recycling rates
In an embarrassing blow to the UK government it has been revealed that the Department for the Environment has a waste recycling rate which is just 29% compared to the 35% average for the UK and 60% rate for the best performing councils around the UK. While this may come as a surprise to many people, the Department for the Environment claims that a large portion of the waste which it handles is potentially hazardous and cannot be recycled.
It will be interesting to see how other UK government departments fare in the recycling table when you consider that companies such as Boots recycle around 50% of their waste and as we mentioned above, some top performing councils are recycling of 60% of their waste. As ever, we seem to be in a situation where the government are very happy to tell UK consumers and UK businesses what to do but in reality are they really doing as well themselves?
Even though the Department for the Environment claims that a large percentage of the waste it handles cannot be recycled, the Department has not been forthcoming with revised figures. There is certainly more pressure on UK consumers, UK businesses, local authorities and the government to increase their own recycling rates and with the EU set to hand out financial penalties for those member states not hitting their targets, there is much to play for in the recycling industry.
Written in association with environmental management experts.
