Which UK Council Produces the Most Waste?

There are almost 12,000 local councils in the UK, from the smallest village and parish councils that serve a few thousand local residents to city and county councils that cater for hundreds of thousands of people. While they are responsible for a wide variety of public services, one of their most important roles is the removal and disposal of household and business waste.

Recycling targets are set at the local council level rather than by the central government, so that councils can target their recycling efforts most effectively for their area. While proposals have been made to reach zero waste to landfills by 2035, some councils are more proactive than others in aiming for that target.

How Do Councils Dispose of Waste?

There are three main methods for disposing of household and commercial waste: recycling, incineration, and sending it to landfills.

Recycling is the most environmentally friendly approach, as you might expect. It is also financially beneficial, since recycling firms will often pay councils for the raw materials they collect and pass on for processing.

Landfill is where waste materials are just dumped, either because they cannot be recycled or because they have been contaminated with other forms of waste. Landfill sites are not just an eyesore; they produce significant amounts of methane and other noxious gases that have been linked to climate change.

Incineration is a popular alternative to landfill for many councils, being a quick and effective way to dispose of waste. While the process does produce a lot of smoke that is bad for the environment, it is less harmful in the long term than landfill. What’s more, the incineration process is being improved to limit its impact.

Which Council Produces the Most Waste?

The following councils produce more waste than any others in the UK. It is worth noting, however, that these are some of the largest population centres in the country, each responsible for hundreds of thousands of local residents and businesses (to over 1 million in Glasgow’s case). While somewhere like London might be more densely populated, waste management duties are split up over a few dozen distinct councils.

Furthermore, these figures show the gross amount of waste collected and disposed of, with little detail in how much was recycled, incinerated, or sent to landfill.

– Cambridgeshire County Council – 331,765 tonnes
– Chichester District Council – 143,195 tonnes
– West Sussex County Council – 143,195 tonnes
– City of Glasgow – 127,604 tonnes
– Leicester City Council – 126,187 tonnes

Which Council Produces the Least Waste?

Fortunately, it’s not all doom and gloom. Even some of the councils listed above (notably West Sussex County Council and the City of Glasgow) have seen a reduction in the amount of waste they send to landfill, dropping by 60% and 37%, respectively, between 2020 and 2022. While they still have a way to go, this is a step in the right direction and should be recognised.

Many councils are paid for their recyclable waste, which gives them a positive incentive to send more of it for processing. Indeed, one local council—North East Lincolnshire Council—managed to achieve what many considered impossible in September 2022. That month, they reported that no household waste went to their landfill sites. Now, it’s important to note that this doesn’t mean it was all recycled (some of it may have been incinerated), but nonetheless, it’s an impressive result.

Why Does So Much Council Waste go to Landfill?

With so many financial incentives for councils to increase recycling, you may be wondering why so much ends up rotting in landfill sites. The answer is simple: not enough people separate their waste into recyclable and non-recyclable materials, and the council does not have the time or resources to employ staff to separate them. This means that many items that could otherwise be recycled are getting mislabelled and mixed in with general waste when collected.

Waste Production in the Black Country

Here in the Black Country, our local councils fare a little better than the national average when it comes to sending waste to landfill, but there is still much that can be improved upon. As a county, the West Midlands sent 174,000 tonnes of waste to landfill in 2021–2022, or approximately 6.3% of the total waste produced. For comparison, the county sent 1,041,000 tonnes of waste (37.4%) for recycling or composting and 1,516,000 tonnes to be incinerated.

While the area’s recycling figures are commendable, there is still room for improvement, which is why it is so important for households and companies alike to take a more intensive approach to how they recycle their waste.

What Can You Do?

Whether you’re a private individual or the owner of a business, there is much you can do to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill. The simplest solution is to separate your waste into recyclable and non-recyclable materials and see to it that they are sent off for processing. While this might be simple enough at the household level, it becomes more difficult with commercial and industrial entities, which often produce a variety of waste products from multiple production streams.

One way to deal with this problem is by hiring a trusted and licenced local waste carrier to remove and dispose of your waste materials for you, rather than relying on the Council’s waste disposal team. Companies like Black Country Skip Hire can arrange regular collections of your corporate waste on a schedule that suits you. They can provide you with receptacles for depositing different kinds of waste on-site that will facilitate easier sorting later down the line. They will also collect your waste at designated times, removing it to a local facility where it will be sorted and separated before being moved on for processing and recycling.

This last part of the process is the most important for you as a business. You can rest easy knowing that you are hitting your green targets by entrusting your recycling requirements to experienced and knowledgeable local experts. They know how to separate your waste most effectively to maximise recycling and minimise the amount that ends up in landfill.