Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

The rest of the country lags behind west Wiltshire.
Paul Bettison, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Environment Board, responding to the publication of the figures, said: “We still have some way to go before we are performing at the level of some of our nearest neighbours in Europe. But we are catching them up, and positive feedback like this should encourage all of us to keep up the effort to reduce and recycle our rubbish.”

He continued: “It is very encouraging to see people doing their bit for the environment by recycling more and reducing this country’s reliance on landfill. More than a third of household waste is now being recycled and local people and local councils deserve credit for this continuing improvement.

“While these figures are another step in the right direction, there is still much more to do. Britain is the dustbin of Europe and dumps more waste into the ground than any other country in the EU. This is costing the council taxpayer dearly in landfill taxes” he added.

You will probably be pleased to know that the figures for west Wiltshire are better than the national average.