The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has today (24 March) published the local authority recycling data for 2021/22.

The industrial action in 2021 that lasted seven weeks had an negative effect on our recycling figures and for the first time in 17 years Bexley does not hold the number one spot. Our congratulations go to Bromley Council who have now taken this position.  Bexley have slipped to fifth spot.

While there are very specific reasons for our recycling rates dropping in this particular year, we are working hard to do all we can to regain our position as the number one borough in London for recycling.

Our Places Overview and Scrutiny committee continue to look at ways we can increase recycling levels further and TRAID, our new household textile recycling collections, has already proven a huge success.

Since the implementation of the TRAID in October last year Bexley has had 266 collections booked and more than 8,000 kilograms of textile and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) has been diverted from being incinerated.

Cabinet Member for Places, Cllr Peter Craske said:

Congratulations to Bromley for their excellent achievement - we want to see recycling rates across London increase and all Councils to be improving their recycling.

We know residents have always supported the push to increase recycling and we will continue to provide the tools so everyone to keep on recycling.

Recycling is in our Borough’s DNA and we continue to work every day to drive up recycling rates.”

Find out more about recycling in Bexley 
 
The DEFRA figures are the annual results for local authority collected waste and management figures across England