Oxfordshire residents have once again topped the charts as England's best recyclers, marking a decade-long winning streak for the county.

According to official government figures for 2022 - 23, Oxfordshire County Council residents recycled, reused, or composted 57.2 per cent of their household waste.

This performance sees the county securing its position as the best waste disposal region in England for the 10th consecutive year.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for climate change and environment, said: "We want to say congratulations and thank you to our residents for all their hard work and commitment in making it 10 in a row. It is quite an achievement.

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"We have successfully kept our waste per household down, and the biggest area for improvement would be food waste.

"Wasting less food is good for our wallets and for the planet. In tough times, we can all remember the old adage ‘waste not, want not’."

The county produced 278,857 tonnes of household waste in 2022/23, out of which 159,732 tonnes were reused, recycled or composted.

Non-recyclable waste produced per household and waste sent to landfill also noted declines.

Among 210 waste collection authorities in England, South Oxfordshire District Council claimed top spot with a 61.6 per cent recycling rate.

Other high achievers among Oxfordshire's city and district councils included the Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire, ranking third and 14th respectively.

Spearheading this recycling drive has been the Oxfordshire Resources and Waste Partnership (ORWP), comprising county, city, and district councils.

The ORWP manager, Vicky Beechey, said: "The sustained high performance by Oxfordshire local authorities is remarkable, particularly against a backdrop of challenging financial times for everyone.

"To see ORWP partners’ hard work continuing to be reflected in these figures is a strong indication of the commitment of those involved to deliver positive environmental outcomes and excellent services for Oxfordshire residents.

"ORWP partners recognise that there is more to do to improve recycling, reuse, and composting rates.

"We all have a role to play in maintaining and improving on how recycling and waste is managed correctly."

As part of efforts to improve recycling practices, Oxfordshire County Council recently introduced an online booking system allowing residents to dispose of limited DIY waste free of charge at local recycling centres.

Various initiatives from Oxfordshire’s Community Action Group network and the Replenish project also offer residents opportunities to further reduce waste and enhance their local environment.

Residents looking for practical ways to make better climate choices can visit the Climate Action Oxfordshire website for tips and ideas.