In 2009-10 32.4 million tonnes of Local authority collected waste see definition was generated in the United Kingdom. Landfill was the dominant waste disposal method in 2009-10 making up 49 per cent of the total.  This is a fall of  15 per cent from the 2005-6 figures.

Why is this important  - The revised Waste Framework Directive requires household waste recycling rates to be at least 50 per cent by 2020. 

Methods of Local Authority waste management:  regions and UK, 2009-10

• In 2009-10 about 16.2 million tonnes of waste (50 per cent of the total) had some value recovered by recycling, composting, reuse or energy recovery. Of this about 11 per cent involved incineration with energy recovery.
• In the UK the East of England has the highest recycling, composting and reuse rate at 46 per cent while London has the lowest recycling, composting and reuse rate at 27 per cent.
• The region in the UK with the lowest proportion of Local Authority Collected waste being sent to landfill is the West Midlands (28 per cent) while Northern Ireland has the highest at 66 per cent.  

Data download

The key facts publication contains a downloadable version of this page
Government policy on waste and recycling
Household waste statistics in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland