Published in December 2020, the eighth edition of the Recycling Carbon Index shows council recycling schemes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland saved CO2 emissions equivalent to over 717,000 return flights between London and Sydney in 2018/19.
The annual index uses the most up-to-date waste data to calculate the quantity of CO2 emissions each local authority is saving in England, Wales and Northern Ireland through their recycling collections. This allows local authorities to compare their performance and share best practice.
The total across England and Wales and Northern Ireland came to 4.0 million tonnes saved, an increase of over 12,000 tonnes since 2017/18. Increasing the amount of carbon saved through recycling will only become more crucial as the UK seeks ways to move towards achieving net zero emissions.
