Westminster recycling less waste, council figures reveal

10.49.46pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 1st Jul 2009

Westminster needs to do much more to help the environment

The amount of Westminster's household waste that is being recycled is falling, according to the very latest council figures.

The figures, which are awaiting a final audit, reveal that in the 12 months to March 2009, Conservative-run Westminster recycled 18,251 tonnes of waste from Westminster households. This was 575 tonnes lower than the previous year.

The percentage of household waste being recycled fell too. Between April 2007 and March 2008, the council managed to recycle 22.7 per cent of household waste. This fell to 21.8 per cent in the 12 months to March 2009.

Commenting, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Westminster North, Mark Blackburn said:

"We have seen time and again that Westminster Conservatives are failing to improve our environment. They lease sportscars for their senior staff, they provide gas-guzzling limousines for top councillors, and the council's buildings are terribly energy inefficient. And now this."

What is also clear from the figures is that the amount of waste Westminster households throw out is rising. In April 2008 to March 2009, residents put out on their doorstep a total of 83,719 tonnes for collection. In the previous 12 months, the total was 82,862 - a rise of 857 tonnes.

Mark added: "Manufacturers and retailers should be put on warning. Either they get rid of unnecessary packaging and so cut the amount of stuff that ends up in our bins, or they face new laws to force them to do that. And certainly the materials they use in their packaging should as far as possible be recyclable."