East Devon holds position among top recyclers in the country

East Devon continues to be one of the top performing local authorities, in terms of its recycling and waste collections.

Residents in the district, along with council staff, have ensured that East Devon District Council (EDDC) has seen a huge increase in its recycling rates since the implementation of an improvement scheme back in 2016/17.

Since then, EDDC has jumped from a lowly 141st place to fifth place in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' recycling rate league table for England. This equates to an increase in recycling and composting rates from 46% in 2016/17 to 61% in 2021/22.

The council has also retained its number one ranking in terms of the lowest volume of residual waste collected from households, a position it has now held for the past four years.

The average household in East Devon now puts out 269.2 kg of residual waste (black wheeled bin waste) per household per year, down from 319.7 kg/household in 2016/17 and 31.7 kg/household less than the second best performer in the country in 2021/2022.

 This figure has fallen by 0.2 kg/year in the last year which, against the backdrop of a rapidly increasing number of new homes in East Devon shows how efficient the recycling and waste service is in the district.

Gareth Bourton, EDDC's recycling and waste contract manager, said: "Just over five years ago we undertook a drive to improve recycling and composting rates and cut the amount of waste we collect and take for disposal by energy from waste.

"We have done this by modernising our system and producing a multi-layered communications programme and importantly by working with our communities who have shown a real desire to improve the environment they live in. 

"These national results speak for themselves and it's very satisfying to see the hard work of everyone paying off."

To top off the results, EDDC's recycling and waste contactor SUEZ has been awarded the third best municipal contractor in the UK (within the Suez municipal collection) and the top in the South West region according to recent Suez staff survey.