Herts residents throw away less and recycle more than average

RESIDENTS in Hertfordshire recycle more and throw away less than those in other parts of the country, data shows.

Latest national data, shows that in 2021/22 Hertfordshire residents – on average – threw away 473.7kg in their ‘residual’ waste bins.

That’s just over 73kg LESS than the national average – and just over 71kg less than the regional East of England average.

‘Residual’ waste levels differ across the county’s 10 district and boroughs – but in every area it is reported to be lower than the national average.

Meanwhile the latest data also shows 52.7 per cent of household waste generated by Hertfordshire residents was sent for reuse, recycling or composting.

That’s 10 per cent higher than the national average figure, of 42.5 per cent. And it’s higher than the East of England figure of 46 per cent.

However the data does show that the amount of municipal waste sent to landfill by Hertfordshire had increased slightly to 15.7 per cent.

That’s lower than the East of England average, but still significantly higher than the England average of 8.1 per cent.

Councillors were warned that because the council would not have access to an energy recovery facility in Buckinghamshire in 2023/24, there would be an increase in the amount sent to landfill.

But it was reported that as a result of new residual waste contracts, it would be anticipated that from April 2024 no waste would be sent ‘directly’ to landfill – except in an emergency.

However a small amount of waste, it was said, would still goes to landfill that would include, for example, waste rejected from recycling processes.

The performance data – contained in the ‘waste management performance report’ – was presented to a meeting of the county council’s environment panel on Thursday (May 11).

Three top recycling tips

1. Keep separate bins for general waste, recycling and compost. Make sure to label each bin, to make sure everyone in the house knows which to use.

2. Wash out recyclable food containers. Use the end of your dishwater to quickly rinse out milk cartons, tin cans, jars etc, this saves water too!

3. Use biodegradable bags in your compost bin. You can buy GreenSax compostable bags here.