A recent report from Surrey Environment Partnership (SEP) reveals that Surrey is flying high when it comes to recycling, moving to joint second place in the country.
In the time period between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023, 54% of the waste thrown out by the county’s residents was recycled into something new: clothing, energy, fertiliser or new packaging. This is much higher than England’s average of 41.7%.
The report also showed that we are also throwing away less rubbish with, on average, every Surrey household reducing their amount by 5.3%, and the overall proportion of waste being sent to landfill dropping to 4.4%. This means that 95.6% of waste in Surrey was repurposed once collected.
The statistics used are combined from those produced for the UK by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and SEP’s own analysis of data produced by its partners. These include Surrey’s 11 district and borough councils, and Surrey County Council.
Cllr Marisa Heath, chair of SEP, said:
“The new report is great news for Surrey, not just for the impact that residents’ waste is having on the environment, but also for the finances of the county’s councils. This is because fewer resources are being used to create new products, which reduces emissions and helps climate change. It is also a benefit as it’s cheaper for councils to process less waste overall and to recycle it rather than turn it into energy or send it to landfill; money that could be spent elsewhere.”
89% of Surrey’s waste was also processed in the UK, the report shows, reducing the emissions produced by transporting materials to other countries.
There are still improvements to be made, however, particularly around contamination. Whole recycling truckloads can be rejected for recycling if items that can’t be recycled are found amongst those that can. The Surrey Recycles search tool will tell you what can be put into recycling bins, and where to put items that can’t, plus details of other local recycling and reuse services. Visit surreyep.org.uk/what-to-do-with-an-item/ to find out more.
