Somerset has climbed its way into the top 30 councils for recycling, and it's all thanks to the green-minded residents of the county.

Defra's recently published league tables show that Somerset's recycling rate for 2021-2022 is a whopping 56.2%, ranking it 28 out of 228 local authorities. That puts it in the top 15% of the country.

In 2020-21, Somerset ranked 59 out of 228, with a recycling rate of 52.4%. With the full impact of Recycle More's expanded collections yet to be felt, Somerset Council is confident that the 2022-23 figures will see it climb even further up the recycling rankings.

The council is committed to making the county greener and more sustainable, working hard to help homeowners recycle more and waste less. And it's paying off. In 2021-22, almost 150,000 tonnes of waste were recycled or reused, saving around 133,000 tonnes of carbon. That's the equivalent of taking more than 51,000 cars off the road for a year.

Of that 150,000 tonnes, 97.2% was recycled into new products and packaging in the UK and of the 5,771 tonnes of plastics collected, 99.4% were reprocessed in the UK.

The Lead Member for Environment and Climate Change, Councillor Sarah Dyke said: "Recycling is a small thing that we can all do to make a difference every day, and I'd like to thank everyone who has helped us achieve these great results. Taking the time to separate your recycling and put it in the right boxes and bags is what makes it possible for us to recycle more and recycle more close to home."

Let's also give a round of applause to Somerset's hard-working crews, who make more than 350,000 collections a week. If you're curious about what happens to the recycling they collect, check out the Somerset Recycling Tracker on the Somerset Council website at somerset.gov.uk/waste. Keep up the good work - and let's keep Somerset climbing up those recycling rankings!