Household waste recycling rates
Recycling rates in the United Kingdom vary significantly depending on the type of material and the local authority responsible. In recent years, the overall recycling rate of waste from households across the UK has stagnated, oscillating between 44 and 46 percent, below the (pre-Brexit) EU target of 50 percent. Scotland has consistently reported the lowest recycling rates, at less than 42 percent in both 2020 and 2021. Meanwhile, Wales has the highest rate, remaining above 56 percent in those same years.Household waste recycling rates also vary significantly within the same country. In FY 2023, the local authorities with the highest household waste recycling rates in England sent more than 60 percent of their collected waste for recycling, reuse, or composting. In contrast, Tower Hamlets London Borough was the local authority with the lowest household waste recycling rate that year, with a rate just shy of 18 percent.