Television shows like Blue Planet are leading to more recycling in Hertfordshire

Data presented to the county council’s resources and performance cabinet panel on Friday (September 20), shows households threw away 475.5kg of ‘residual’ waste last year (2018/19) - 21.8kg less than the previous year (2017/18).

And the report puts this reduction down to increased recycling and the impact of TV coverage.

“The reduction is likely to be the result of increases in the amount of material recycled and composted, but also due to waste minimisation as residents become more aware of the impacts of waste through television programmes such as Blue Planet,” it states.

Meanwhile the data also shows the county’s recycling rate - based on kerbside collection and recycling centres - has increased by 0.8 per cent, to 51.7.

Eight out of Hertfordshire’s 10 districts and borough council’s increased their overall recycling rate, according to the report - but composting tonnages were down.

However - although there has been a decrease in residual waste and an increase in recycling -  the report shows that the percentage of waste from Hertfordshire going to landfill has increased.

The data shows that last year (2018/19) 14.6 per cent of waste collected by the local authority was sent to landfill - compared to 13.1 per cent in 2017/18 and 11.1 per cent in 2016/17.

“This reflects competing pressures for availability of regional energy recovery facilities with more landfill used to cover periods of unavailability and facility ‘down-time’,” says the report.

“This trend is likely to continue as result of new disposal contracts from April 2021.”