'Still in the doldrums': UK recycling rate creeps above 45 per cent

Michael Holder
clock • 6 min read

Slight year-on-year uptick in household recycling welcomed by industry, but green groups highlight 'packaging waste mountain' revealed by latest Defra figures

The amount of household waste sent for recycling across the whole of the UK crept up above 45 per cent for the first time in 2016, setting a new record. But meeting binding EU targets for 2020 remains...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Waste

How Flybox is harnessing the power of insects to tackle organic waste

How Flybox is harnessing the power of insects to tackle organic waste

Larry Kotch, chief operating officer at Flybox, explains how the company is converting food waste into insect protein and fertiliser

Stuart Stone
clock 08 December 2025 • 4 min read
How Coat Paints is tackling toxic formulas, overproduction, and 'endless waste'

How Coat Paints is tackling toxic formulas, overproduction, and 'endless waste'

Coat Paints' founder and CEO reflects on rolling out a 'made to order' model that aims to reduce waste and emissions in an industry 'still operating like it was 1950'

Stuart Stone
clock 24 November 2025 • 4 min read
eBay: UK shoppers leading a 'global rethink' as almost half buy second-hand

eBay: UK shoppers leading a 'global rethink' as almost half buy second-hand

UK shoppers at the forefront of a second-hand retail boom, with more than nine-in-ten planning to increase their spending on pre-loved items, according to major new survey

Stuart Stone
clock 18 November 2025 • 4 min read