In 2022, 44.1 percent of waste from households in the United Kingdom was recycled, slightly down from 44.6 percent a year earlier. Wales has consistently reported the highest recycling rate for household waste in the UK, at almost 57 percent in 2022. In contrast, Scotland had the lowest rate, at 42.1 percent.

In 2022, some 43.4 percent of waste from households in England was recycled. Recycling rates plummeted in recent years due to the outbreak of COVID-19, which heavily impacted waste collection services. Recycling rates in England peaked in 2019, at 45.5 percent.

Local authority barriers

One issue with the amount of recycling that can be done in England is that not all local authorities collect the same materials. While all local authorities collect plastic bottles, not all collect plastic pots and trays, and very few collect plastic film. As a result, the recycling rate of plastic in England is far lower than other household waste materials, such as paper and cardboard.

Plastic waste exports Another issue facing the UK's recycling industry is that it lacks the capacity to recycle all of its plastic waste domestically. Therefore, huge volumes of plastic waste are exported for recycling each year. These volumes are sometimes larger than plastic waste that is reprocessed in the UK. However, these shipments still count towards UK recycling rate targets.

This publication covers annual estimates for waste collected by local authorities in England and the regions. These statistics are based on data submitted by all local authorities in England to WasteDataFlow on the waste they collect and manage.

The methodology and recycling explainer documents give background and context to this statistical notice, accompanying datasets and the waste and recycling measures they present.

There is also a further historical note on the definition of local authority collected waste relating to earlier releases.

The entire raw dataset is available in CSV format and can be found here: https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/0e0c12d8-24f6-461f-b4bc-f6d6a5bf2de5/wastedataflow-local-authority-waste-management" class="govuk-link">WasteDataFlow - Local Authority waste management - data.gov.uk

Historic releases

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20250102235615/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results" class="govuk-link">2022-2023

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20230802024231/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results-202122" class="govuk-link">2021- 2022

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20220503105415/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results" class="govuk-link">2020 - 2021

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20210728220801/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results" class="govuk-link">2019-2020

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20200604042448/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results" class="govuk-link">2018 - 2019

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20190903035029/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results" class="govuk-link">2017 - 2018

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20181207030346/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results" class="govuk-link">2016 - 2017

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20170418015547/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results" class="govuk-link">2015 - 2016 This includes the ad hoc release entitled “Provisional 2016/17 local authority data on waste collection and treatment for England (April to June and July to September 2016)”.

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20160512131028/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results" class="govuk-link">2014 - 2015

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20150401112814/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results" class="govuk-link">2013 - 2014

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20140321171631/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authority-collected-waste-management-annual-results" class="govuk-link">2012 - 2013

Historic datasets

Historic datasets

The South West was the region of England with the highest recycling rate of local authority collected household waste for the year ended March 2023, at 48.2 percent. In the financial year 2019, the South West reported a recycling rate of 50.1 percent. This is the only time a region in England has had a recycling rate higher than 50 percent.

Table shows the proportion of collected household waste which is recycled or composted.

Figures for 2004/5 were taken from the London Councils organisation as the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) do not list complete LA level statistics for this year.

From 1998/99 to 2003/04 estimates for household waste recycling (including composting) rates are based on data supplied to the annual DEFRA Municipal Waste Management Survey.

From 1998/99 to 2001/02 figures revised since previous publication. Recycling/composting rates for 1998-99 were first published in Annex A of "Guidance in Municipal Waste Management Strategies" published by DEFRA in March 2001 and 1999/00 rates in Annex B of the consultation paper on "Distribution of the £140 Million Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund", available from https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/waste-and-recycling-statistics

The recycling rate is calculated as set out below.

For Waste Collection Authorities (WCA) and Unitary Authorities (UA):
X/Y x 100, where:
X = Tonnage of household waste collected by the WCA or UA which is sent for recycling/composting (including private/voluntary collections of household waste for recycling)
Y = Total tonnage of household waste collected by the WCA or UA (including private/voluntary collections of household waste for recycling)

For Waste Disposal Authorities (WDA):
X/Y x 100, where:
X = Tonnage of household waste collected by the WDA which is sent for recycling plus tonnage of household waste which is sent for recycling by the constituent WCAs (including private/voluntary collections of household waste for recycling)
Y = Total tonnage of household waste collected at Civic Amenity sites by the WDA plus total tonnage of household waste collected by constituent WCAs (including private/voluntary collections of household waste for recycling)

Annual Results for Local authority collected waste management published by are available here.

For more Local Authority Waste and Recycling Information visit the WRAP Portal. The site is accessible to the public but does require registration on the first visit.

Forecast: Municipal Waste Recycling Rate in the UK 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

In 2022, the recycling rate of municipal waste in the United Kingdom stood at 42.5 percent, when considering recycling and composting combined, slightly down from the previous year. Municipal waste recycling rates in the UK nearly quadrupled between 2000 and 2019, peaking at 44.3 percent in the later year. With progress stalling in recent years, the UK is off-track to reach its target to recycle 55 percent of municipal waste by 2025, and 60 percent by 2030.

The recycling rate of waste collected by local authority across England for the year ended March 31, 2022 was 41.9 percent. This was a slight increase from the previous year, up from 41.6 percent. Recycling rates have increased significantly since the financial year 2000/01, when the recycling rate was just 12.3 percent. Despite this significant growth, rates have slowed down over the past decade.

The recycling and recovery rate of plastic packaging in the United Kingdom stood at 52.5 percent in 2023, the highest figure recorded in the displayed period. The amount of plastic packaging recycled in the UK has nearly doubled since 2012. How is plastic recycled in the UK? One of the most important steps in the recycling process of plastic waste is the collection of recyclables. In 2023, 100 percent of local authorities in the UK offered curbside collection of plastic bottles, while 89 percent also offered collection of plastic pots, tubs, and trays. After collection, plastic waste is transported to a recycling center where it can be sorted and cleaned. The plastic is then shredded, melted and pelletized so that it can be ultimately used as raw material for manufacturing new plastic products. Plastic waste that is not collected for recycling is either sent to landfill sites or incinerated for energy recovery. Collected does not mean recycled Many nations – including the United Kingdom – export part of their waste to other countries because they either lack the recycling infrastructure to manage the volume of waste generated or because it is cheaper to ship their waste to countries with lower labor and processing costs. Less than half of the plastic packaging waste collected in the UK is recycled domestically, with the highest share being exported. In 2024, Turkey was the leading destination of UK plastic waste exports.

Since 2010, the United Kingdom's recycling rate of electrical and electronic waste (WEEE) has seen an overall increase, despite some fluctuation, peaking at 67 percent in 2018. Electronic waste, often referred to as e-waste, is electronic products such as phones, computers and televisions that are discarded at the end of their useful life.

About 5.4 million metric tons of paper and cardboard packaging were generated in the United Kingdom in 2023. Of this total, 3.9 million metric tons were recovered for recycling, resulting in a rate of roughly 73.4 percent. In comparison, some 2.2 million metric tons of plastic packaging were generated that year, with just 52.5 percent recycled. Steel was the packaging material with the highest recycling rate in 2023.

Tonnages of household waste sent for reuse, recycling and composting

WasteDataFlow - the web based system for statutory reporting of municipal waste data by UK local authorities to government. Members of the public can register for public access to WasteDataFlow on their website, where there is a user guide for the public, which includes instructions for registering.

DEFRA waste and recycling statistics – website provides a range of waste datasets including local authority and commercial waste

Waste and Resources Action Programme – website provides statistics from WasteDataFlow outputs and information on local authority waste and recycling services. Members of the public can register and log in to the site.

In a bid to minimize waste and move towards a circular economy, a series of waste reduction targets have been set for England. By 2025, at least 55 percent of municipal waste must be recycled, with the target increasing to 65 percent by 2035.

The government had previously set a target of recycling 50 percent of household waste by 2020, but England missed this target with a recycling rate of 44 percent that year, with officials citing disruptions caused by COVID-19 as the main reason for this.

Forecast: Municipal Waste Recycled in the UK 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

Tonnages of household waste sent for reuse, recycling and composting. WasteDataFlow - the web based system for statutory reporting of municipal waste data by UK local authorities to government. Members of the public can register for public access to WasteDataFlow on their website, where there is a user guide for the public, which includes instructions for registering. DEFRA waste and recycling statistics – website provides a range of waste datasets including local authority and commercial waste. Waste and Resources Action Programme – website provides statistics from WasteDataFlow outputs and information on local authority waste and recycling services. Members of the public can register and log in to the site.

In the financial year ended March 2023, the South Oxfordshire District Council was the local authority with the highest household waste recycling rate in England, at 61.6 percent. This was closely followed by the Three Rivers District Council with a household waste recycling rate of 61.5 percent. Three Rivers District Council operates in the east of England, which has one of the highest regional recycling rates of household waste in England.