COTSWOLD District Council are thanking local residents for achieving the highest recycling rates in Gloucestershire yet again.

The figures are bucking the national trend, which according to the latest study is declining for 14 million homes elsewhere in England.

Experts have warned that the UK is likely to miss its 50% recycling target by 2020, whereas in the Cotswolds the target is already being exceeded with almost 60% of household waste recycled.

Government figures published for 2016-17 placed CDC 13 out of 350 local authorities with 59.6 per cent of waste recycled, a rise of 1.4 per cent on our figures for 2015-16.

This means that CDC rose five places in the league table from last year’s position, and CDC also remain as the top performing Council in Gloucestershire.

Cllr Sue Coakley, CDC Cabinet Member responsible for Environment said: “These latest figures confirm yet again that our residents care deeply about the environment and are keen to recycle as much waste as possible.

“I would like to thank everyone across the District for helping us exceed our 2015-16 totals.

“I am also very pleased that so many people have signed up for our garden waste collection scheme for 2018-19 – over 13,000 households and still rising - and this bodes well for the future as we look to smash through the 60% recycling barrier.

“We appreciate the efforts everyone is making to “reduce, reuse and recycle” and I am encouraged to hear that many residents are finding alternatives to single use plastics such as coffee cups and straws.”