Essex has worst record on non-recycled waste sent to council landfills

New government data published yesterday showed that 95% of non-recycled waste in Essex is sent to landfill, as ministers launched their plans for a circular economy.

- Helena Horton

Seven local authorities reported sending more than 40% of their residual waste to landfill in 2022-23, with Essex county council at the top of the list. Cambridgeshire county council was next, with 87% residual waste to landfill, followed by Southend-on-Sea city council (74%), Darlington borough council (61%), Lancashire county council (59%), Leicester city council (57%) and Newcastle city council (56%).

At present non-recyclable waste is either incinerated for energy or sent to landfill. But as populations grow, the way products are used and made needs to change to reduce the reliance on landfill. This includes making packaging more recyclable and using less of it overall.

Ministers' plans to encourage a circular economy include simpler recycling schemes in England, a deposit returns scheme for plastic bottles and charging manufacturers for producing too much waste. This would incentivise producers to sell products in recycled and recyclable packaging.

In July government targets were set requiring local authorities to send, on average, no more than 10% of municipal waste to landfill by 2035.