Nearly 10,000 tonnes of recycling has been collected from homes across Ashford borough since the roll-out of the new service last summer.

This figure includes 5,513 tonnes of dry-mixed recycling, 1,417 tonnes of garden waste, and 2,493 tonnes of food waste.

Ashford Borough Council, which previously held the record for being the worst recycler in the county, has said that more than 50% of collected domestic waste is now being sent for recycling, compared with 14% in 2011 and 2012.

Portfolio holder for culture and environment Cllr Jessamy Blanford said: “These figures are extremely encouraging, even better than we expected, and I want to thank all our residents for embracing the service so positively.

“The service is operating well, with the recycling performance regularly exceeding 50% month on month.

“We can now say with confidence that we have gone from being the worst recycler in the country to being amongst the best.

“I would also like to stress that the material sent to the Materials Recycling Facility in Edmonton is sold on to a range of different companies for re-use, and none of it goes to landfill.”

When the service was launched in Ashford in July 2013, all eligible households received four bins – a green recycling bin, a grey general waste bin, and two food caddies.

Cllr Blanford added: “I put our success down to an easy-to-manage system, good communications and the enthusiasm of residents.”

Full report in this week's Kentish Express.