Waste and Recycling Targets in North Hertfordshire
North Herts recycling hits 50%
Residents of North Herts have achieved a 50% recycling, composting and re-use rate over the year 2010-11. This means that half of your waste last year avoided going to landfill.
This is only the second time that North Herts has achieved this level and puts us in the top two authorities in Hertfordshire. The national level by comparison is just under 40%.
50% is a great step forward in protecting the environment and helping to control the cost of landfilling waste.
But did you know that a third of the waste collected in grey bins is food?
All of this could be put in the brown bin or home composted, helping to save the environment - and the taxpayer - even more.
Domestic residual waste, recycling, reuse and composting rates 2006 - 2011
The graph shows how collection rates have been affected following the introduction of alternate weekly collections of waste and recycling (AWC) in October 2007 and in vessel composting - the collection of food and card waste (IVC) - in June 2008.
Graph of waste and recycling rates (14Kb) 
Large financial penalties may be imposed by central government if UK and European targets are not met. As well as recycling, there are challenging targets to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste (material that decomposes) being landfilled. The baseline was set on 1995 levels and the targets are:
- A maximum of 50% of 1995 levels in 2013
- A maximum of 35% of 1995 levels in 2020.
In order for North Herts to fulfil its targets we have to reduce the waste we send to landfill further.
If we are unable to meet these targets we will face huge penalties. For every tonne of extra rubbish that is dumped at landfill, we will be fined up to £150 in addition to the current disposal rates.
Thank you to all our residents for your efforts to recycle and reduce your waste.
