UTTLESFORD has been ranked among the best in the East of England for recycling, according to new figures.

The district currently recycles 53.8 per cent of its household waste, ranking it third in the region.

Rochford District Council topped the table with 61.2 per cent, followed by Huntingdonshire with 55.5 per cent.

An Uttlesford District Council spokesman said: “We are very proud of the recycling performance which continues to be one of the best in the country, thanks to the efforts of our residents.

“There is of course always more that can been done and the council is always looking at ways to improve the recycling rate further. For example, we are currently encouraging people who live in flats to contact us to see if we can introduce communal recycling facilities.”

Speaking about Rochford’s performance, the spokesman added: “The reason for Rochford’s recycling and composting rate being higher is that they collect garden waste free of charge from the kerbside.

“However, this reduces home composting which is the most environmentally friendly way of disposing of garden waste.”

The figures follow new analysis by GMB public services union which represents refuse staff.

The union suggests that landfill tax, which is designed to encourage recycling, is set to rise sharply from the current �48 per tonne to �80 – or �195m across the region.

Uttlesford is, however, in a good position.

Currently it does not recycle 13,189 tonnes of its household waste – making it the second best performing district in the region.