UK household recycling rate slips to 44.5%
Wales leads the four U.K. nations at 58.6%, while England and Scotland trail below 44%, new government figures show.
The United Kingdom's recycling rate for household waste was 44.5% in 2024, down slightly from 44.6% in 2023, according to new government statistics.
Rates varied widely across the four nations. Wales recycled 58.6% of household waste and Northern Ireland 50.1%, while England reached 43.8% and Scotland 42.7%. The rate rose in Wales and Scotland.
Other figures were more positive. Provisional data show that 70.5% of U.K. packaging waste was recycled in 2025, and biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill fell to 4.9 million metric tons in 2024 from 5.3 million the year before.
England generated 178.1 million metric tons of waste in 2024, according to provisional estimates. That included 63.3 million tons of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste, of which 60.3 million tons was recovered, and about 32 million tons of commercial and industrial waste.
This brief is based on reporting published Sept. 23, 2026, by Circular Online. Read the original: https://www.circularonline.co.uk/news/uk-recycling-rate-remains-stagnant-at-44-5/
This article was produced with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by an editor before publication.
