Municipal Waste Management Statistics

Defra publishes summaries of municipal and household waste management data for England. These summaries are based on local authority submissions to WasteDataFlow (WDF), the web based system for municipal waste data reporting by UK local authorities to government.

Annual data is published at the national, regional and local authority level. From 2007/08 summary national and regional data will also be released on a quarterly basis.

A summary of the 2006/07 annual waste management data for England is presented below:

Recycling workman carrying waste in plastic bin bag

Key Facts

  • Household recycling and composting rate in England increased to 31% in 2006/7 from 27% in 2005/6
  • Total municipal waste increased by 1.4% to 29.1 million tonnes 
  • Total municipal waste to landfill decreased by 1 million tonnes to 16.9 million tonnes
  • 83% of local authorities collected less household rubbish (residual waste) than in 2005/06
  • 94% of authorities recycled and composted more of their household waste than in 2005/06
  • 88% of disposal authorities landfilled less of their municipal waste than in 2005/06 
  • Local authorities have collectively boosted national recycling and composting rates to 31% and disposed of 1 million tonnes less waste in landfill in 2006/07, compared to 2005/06
  • Less rubbish – the lowest amount of residual household waste collected in 2006/07 was 180kg per person, the highest was 449kg per person.
  • More recycling - the highest percentage household recycling and composting in 2006/07 was 55.5%, the lowest rate was 11.8%
  • Less landfill - the lowest percentage of municipal waste landfilled in 2006/07 was 7%, the highest was 93%

For more information and to access Defra’s latest waste statistical releases visit: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/wastats


Waste Data Flow

WasteDataFlow (WDF) is the web based system for municipal waste data reporting by UK local authorities to government. It was developed to replace the various and often repetitive waste questionnaires issued to local authorities. WDF has replaced the Defra Municipal Waste Management Survey in England and similar surveys in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Questions are completed quarterly by local authorities and the data are made available to the public once this information has been validated by the WasteDataFlow team and the Environment Agency.

For more information and to access reports showing individual local authority data for all UK authorities visit www.wastedataflow.org and register for public access.