Residents in the Staffordshire Moorlands are bucking national trends when it comes to recycling their household waste.
Whilst national recycling rates decreased by 0.6% over the last 12 months, Staffordshire Moorlands rate increased from 55.2% to 56.4% - an increase which saw the District Council retain its place in the top 30 best performing council areas in the country ranking at number 27.
This improvement came in a year when the Council removed the recycling bring banks which were subject to high levels of contamination meaning much of the material collected had to be disposed of rather than recycled.
Councillor Arthur Forrester, Cabinet Member for the environment, said: "It's great to start the New Year on such a positive note - and it's thanks to the fantastic efforts of our residents who continue to maintain a focus on recycling.
"To see an increase in the amount of household waste being recycled when most other areas are experiencing a fall is commendable - and I hope we'll continue to see an increase in this figure as people make recycling and reusing more of their waste a firm resolution for 2017."
