Response 4037591

Response to request for information

Reference

4037591

Response date

12 June 2026

Request

1. Household recycling contamination rates. Please provide the average contamination rate of household recycling collections, expressed as a percentage by weight, for each of the following financial years: 
   • 2022/23
   • 2023/24 
   • 2024/25 (or the latest available figure if the year is not yet complete) 
2. Tonnage rejected due to contamination. Please provide the estimated tonnage of household recycling rejected or sent to residual waste disposal due to contamination in each of the following financial years: 
   • 2022/23 
   • 2023/24 
   • 2024/25 (or the latest available figure if the year is not yet complete) 
3. Recycling enforcement capacity. Does your authority employ officers or teams with responsibility for checking household waste and recycling bins for misuse or contamination? If yes, please provide: 
   • The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff dedicated to this function, for each financial year from 2022/23 to 2024/25 
   • The total budget allocated to recycling enforcement activity for each of those years
4. Civil penalties for incorrect recycling. Please provide the number of fixed penalty notices or civil enforcement fines issued to householders for incorrect recycling or waste separation, and the total amount of monies generated from those fines, for each of the following financial years: 
   • 2016/17 
   • 2017/18
   • 2018/19
   • 2019/20
   • 2020/21
   • 2021/22 
   • 2022/23
   • 2023/24
   • 2024/25 (or the latest available estimate if final data has not yet been published) 
5. Simpler Recycling legislation compliance.
   • Is your authority currently operating in compliance with the Simpler Recycling regulations, as introduced under the Environment Act 2021? 
   • If not yet compliant, what is your authority's planned implementation date?
   • If your authority intends to apply for a deferral or has already done so, please confirm the reason and the current status off that application. 

Response

1. Household recycling contamination rates. Please provide the average contamination rate of household recycling collections, expressed as a percentage by weight, for each of the following financial years:

• • 2022/23 15.2%
  • 2023/24 15.8%
  • 2024/25 15.1%
  • 2025/26 12.5%
  • 2026/27   7.1% (April only)

2. Tonnage rejected due to contamination. Please provide the estimated tonnage of household recycling rejected or sent to residual waste disposal due to contamination in each of the following financial years: 
   • 2022/23 Nil
   • 2023/24 Nil
   • 2024/25 (or the latest available figure if the year is not yet complete) Nil
3. Recycling enforcement capacity. Does your authority employ officers or teams with responsibility for checking household waste and recycling bins for misuse or contamination? No
4. Civil penalties for incorrect recycling. Please provide the number of fixed penalty notices or civil enforcement fines issued to householders for incorrect recycling or waste separation, and the total amount of monies generated from those fines. Not Applicable
5. Simpler Recycling legislation compliance.
   • Is your authority currently operating in compliance with the Simpler Recycling regulations, as introduced under the Environment Act 2021? No
   • If not yet compliant, what is your authority's planned implementation date? Food waste October 2027
   • If your authority intends to apply for a deferral or has already done so, please confirm the reason and the current status off that application. DEFRA deferral for food waste until October 2027 due to current disposal contract in place.