High Peak residents are recycling half of their waste

High Peak residents are being thanked for "their continued commitment to doing the right thing" by recycling just over half of their waste.

The latest figures from DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) show that the recycling rate is now 50.5 per cent - which has seen the borough rise from 162nd to 76th in the country's table in the space of 10 years. The rate was just 41.6 per cent in 2010/11. 

The current rate is now the second highest in Derbyshire and fifth highest in the East Midlands. 

The borough council has described the "fantastic improvement" as "a real achievement" but says there's more that can still be done. 

Nicola Kemp, Head of Service Commissioning at High Peak Borough Council, said: “This is really great news and, on behalf of the Council and our waste partners Alliance Environmental Services, we want to say a huge thank you to our residents for their continued commitment to doing the right thing by recycling more and more of their waste and achieving this fantastic improvement in our rates.

“It’s down to their efforts that we’ve seen such a rise in our overall position in the county, regional and national recycling tables – a real achievement.

“The last year has been especially challenging and maintaining services through this time has been our priority and something that, we know, is very much appreciated by our residents.

“Whilst it’s important to thank everyone for playing their part, we mustn’t stop now. We still come across everyday items that can be recycled, such as shampoo bottles, in the black bins. We have a lot of useful information on our website which you can use to see what can go into your bins. It’s worth looking at to see if you're throwing things away which could be recycled and help us improve our recycling rate even more.”

Anyone who is unsure about a specific item and whether it can be recycled can visit the borough council website www.highpeak.gov.uk/BinsHelp. 

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