TRAFFORD is the best performing borough for recycling household waste in the North-West.

It disposed of 58.5 per cent of its domestic waste in 2017/18 in an environmentally-friendly way for reuse, recycling or composting with just 40.4 per cent sent for incineration and conversion into energy. 

Household waste in the borough (which includes Sale, Altrincham, Hale, Timperley, Stretford, Urmston, Old Trafford and Flixton) is collected by a partnership between Trafford Council and Amey.

This One Trafford organisation has ensured the recycling rate in the borough is the best out of nine Greater Manchester council areas, the most effective out of 43 in the North-West.

It places it as 16th in the UK recycling league table of 353 local authority areas prepared by by waste experts InSinkErator from Department of Environment figures

Trafford is one of just six council areas in the North-West to meet or exceed the government's target of recycling half of its household waste.

In 2010/11 Trafford recycled 41 per cent of its domestic rubbish.

Its 58.5 per cent recycling and composting rate is nearly 15 points over the national average recycling rate of 43 per cent per year.

The next highest performing council in the North West is Cheshire West and Chester with 58.3 per cent, ranking 19th in England, followed by Stockport with 57.5 per cent, ranking 22nd out of 353 councils in England.

Barrow-in-Furness is the worst performing in the North West, and ranks as the 3rd worst in England, with a recycling rate of 19.6 pert cent. Next lowest performing is Liverpool (26.6) followed by Preston (29.8).

Cllr Stephen Adshead - Trafford Council's executive member for environment, air quality and climate change - said: “We are so pleased with the effort Trafford residents put into recycling.

"It shows that Trafford is making a conscientious effort to recycle as best they can.

" But we can still do more.

"In 2018, we introduced 'Recycle on the Go' which now allows residents to recycle their litter in segregated litter bins. Recycling is now part of the norm – whether it is at home or on the street.

By making recycling as accessible as possible, we hope to continue increasing our recycling rate and to remain the best in the region.”

Chris Vella-Bone, the ecommerce manager for Europe and Russia at InSinkErator, comments on the latest results release, saying:

“The recycling data from DEFRA is a great opportunity to make a real change for the future of our planet. At InSinkErator, we believe that everyone should be aware of the impact that all kinds of waste can have on our environment.

Food waste in particular is a growing issue. With the increasing amount of unavoidable food waste generated in the home, and the difficulty for many to dispose of it, a food waste disposer is a discrete asset to any home.”

The government has highlighted five strategic principles to ensure its 50 per cent recycling target for household waste is achieved: to provide recycling incentives; to prevent waste from occurring in the first place, and manage it better if it does; to ensure the ‘polluter pays’ principle by putting the onus on the manufacturers; for the UK to lead by example, both domestically and internationally; and to prevent ambition to be undermined by criminality.

For more information on what can be recycled and recycling centres can be found on Trafford Council's website.