Municipal Waste figures << Back to Main News Page Added: Monday, 19 June 2006 More recycling, more waste, but less going to landfill, are the headline messages following the publication of provisional Municipal Waste arising figures by the Department of Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) for England. These results are the first to be based on WasteDataFlow information, supplied by local authorities in England. The total amount of municipal waste for the financial year, 2004/2005 has increased by 2.1 per cent to an estimated 29.7 million tonnes in England, compared to 29.1 million tonnes in 2003/04. Over a four year period from 2000/2001 including the latest results there has been an average annual increase of 1.5 per cent. In 2004/2005 nearly a third of (9.8 million tonnes) of municipal waste had some sort of value recovered from it, an increase of 5% vs. 2003/2004. 23.5% of municipal waste was recycled or composted in 2004/2005. Representing a 4.5% increase on 2003/04 9% of waste was incinerated with energy recovery. Little change vs. 2003/2004 67% of municipal waste was disposed of in landfill in 2004/2005. A 5% decrease on 2003/04. The actual tonnage of municipal waste disposed of in landfill has decreased to 19.9 million tonnes in 2004/05. Household highlights Household sources accounted for around 86% per cent of municipal waste, (25.7 million tonnes), around 513 kg of household waste per person per annum. Household waste recycled (including composting) rose by 4.7% to 22.5 per cent in 2004/05. (17.8% in 2003/2004) In absolute terms the amount of household waste collected for recycling has increased by 27.6 per cent, from 4.5 million tonnes in 2003/04 to 5.8 million tonnes in 2004/05. Regional picture Across England the regional variation of household recycling rates, sees the highest recycling rate achieved in the East in 2004/05 at 29.4%. followed by rates of 26 to 27 per cent in the South West, East Midlands and SouthWest. The North East had the lowest rate of 15.3 per cent. Further details of the summary estimates, by region, from the 2004/05 WasteDataFlow survey, and results from the Municipal Waste Management Survey, for previous years can be viewed on the Defra web site at: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/wastats/bulletin/mwb-intbull-20042005.xls