Recycling in St Albans has improved following the introduction of a new waste and recycling collection scheme.

Recycling increased to 50.1 per cent of all household waste for the year ended September 30, up from 45 per cent for the previous 12-month period. During the seasonal peak in June 2014, the recycling rate rose to 58 per cent.

Dry recycling tonnages increased by 9.7 per cent, from 10,723 to 11,758 tonnes. Green waste composting also improved and was up from 11,087 to 14,484 tonnes, equating to an increase of 30.6 per cent.

Under the council’s new recycling scheme cardboard is no longer placed with green waste. Instead, residents are asked to place cardboard in their paper recycling box and to use the recently introduced bulky cardboard collection.

This has led to less green waste being rejected as contaminated. As a result, the quality of the green waste has improved and the number of complaints about odour emitted from Agrivert’s site in South Mimms has fallen.

St Albans District Council said they were continuing to look at ways to increase recycling to meet its goal of 60 per cemt of all household waste by 2015. In the last year, the recycling of an extra 4,432 tonnes of waste saved the county council a further £443,200 in landfill costs.

Portfolio holder for environment Chichester-Miles, said: "Residents have responded well to the new scheme and have helped improve recycling rates significantly. 

"One key area where residents can help improve on this performance is to recycle more food. A recent survey showed us that approximately a quarter of all waste collected from black wheelie bins is food. 

"Every tonne of food waste that is not recycled costs taxpayers around £100, including landfill tax, to dispose of. Food waste sent to landfill also harms the environment by releasing greenhouse gas emissions. Please recycle your food waste and help us improve recycling rates overall. "

Food waste can be collected in a caddy before being transferred to a green wheelie bin. More information about the Council’s recycling scheme is available at: www.stalbans.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling.