Ashford is no longer the worst borough in England at recycling as drastic new measures brought in last year have improved the council's rubbish performance.

Following the humiliation of being ranked bottom in Defra’s 2012 to 2013 recycling league table, out of 353 local authorities, Ashford Borough Council (ABC) binned its weekly rubbish collections and limited kerb-side recycling in favour of fortnightly refuse collections and the ability to recycle a wider range of materials including food and, for a fee, garden waste.

Now ABC, which didn’t use wheelie bins until last summer, has more than quadrupled its recycling performance, going from a pathetic rate of 12% to a far more respectable 55%.

The increase would see the authority jump more than 300 places in Defra’s next league table, to 33rd in the country, if it was produced today.

The new services were introduced in July last year by contractor Biffa, whose managing director Roger Edwards said: “Ashford’s recycling uplift was first and foremost down to its fantastic residents and also reflects a close and effective partnership between council and contractor.

“My team has been waiting impatiently for these first year figures because they knew they would be very good.”

Cllr Jessamy Blanford, ABC portfolio holder for waste and recycling, said: “This is extremely encouraging news. We have been delighted with how enthusiastic our residents have been about recycling since the new service and wheeled bins were introduced.

“Obviously the current figures are helped by the amount of seasonal garden recycling being collected in the summer, but that in itself is good news as we are pleased to see so many people taking up this optional service.

“The latest figures also indicate people are getting more comfortable with recycling, as the amount of non-recyclable material rejected at the recycling plant has also dropped.”

However, Mr Edwards said Defra’s recycling table for the 2013 to 2014 year will not mirror these improvements as Defra’s statistics cover April 2013 to March 2014, which includes three months of Ashford’s old service.