New government figures show that Lib Dem/Tory-run Southwark Council has the sixth lowest recycling rate in the country. The statistics from the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs reveal that only 20.89% of household waste in Southwark is recycled, with double that amount of waste still going to landfill.

The Lib Dem administration pledged to increase Southwark’s recycling rate to 30% by 2010, but has managed only a 0.87% increase in the last year.

Labour councillors blame council restrictions on what can be recycled and a confusing system for the low rate. Unlike London’s better performing boroughs the council does not recycle food waste or Tetra Pak cartons, and only some residents have access to kerbside recycling for plastic bags or the plastics used in yoghurt pots and margarine tubs.

Southwark Labour’s Environment and Transport spokesperson, Cllr Barrie Hargrove said:

“Progress on recycling in Southwark has been painfully slow and we’ve been warning for some time that the Lib Dems risked breaking their pledge if they didn’t take urgent action. It’s one thing for them to break that promise, but to drop to sixth worst recycler in the country is criminal.

“Southwark residents care about the environment and want to do their bit by recycling, but the Lib Dem-run council hasn’t lived up to its part of the bargain. It should come as no surprise that when the makes the system confusing and refuses to recycle common household materials, the rate is worse than in places where those materials are accepted and the system’s simple.”

NOTES

The full statistics can be found here: http://www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/statistics/environment/wastats/archive/mwb200809a.xls

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