PEOPLE in the Suffolk Coastal district are now recycling more than 60% of the waste they generate, new figures have shown.

The figure – for the first six months of 2010-11 – will make the district one of the top recyclers in the country.

Suffolk Coastal Services (SCS), which runs the service for the council, runs an alternate week refuse and recycling collection.

In 2009-10, the district recycled 51.8% of waste, compared to the national average of 39.7% and the regional average of 45.7%.

Waveney District Council was the top performer in Suffolk, recycling 53.2% of its waste. Nationally, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council was top with 61.8%

Suffolk Coastal said the improved figure of 60.7% of waste being recycled or composted between April and September last year was due to the completed roll-out of its triple-bin scheme. The figure represents a rise of nearly 10% on last year.

“I would like to congratulate our residents for making 2010 our best ever year for recycling,” said Andrew Nunn, cabinet member for the environment.

“Over 24,000 tonnes of waste was recycled or composted between January 2010 and December 2010.

“By residents making use of our range of recycling services, we have all saved �2million that would have been the cost of putting those materials in a landfill site.

“By recycling more and more, our communities are taking positive action to reduce the cost to their councils of landfilling their rubbish.

“I would urge everyone to renew their efforts as the less they throw away, the more money will be left to spend on other services, while their recycling efforts are also helping to protect our environment.”

Since March 2009, every home in Suffolk Coastal has been able to make use of the three-bi service. Residents can put any unwanted food, cooked or uncooked, in their brown bin along with any garden cuttings, while paper, cans, plastics and cardboard can go in the blue-lidded bin.

General rubbish can go in the grey-lidded bin, while glass bottles and jars can be taken to the nearest glass recycling bank. There are over 250 recycling sites across the district.

Mr Nunn also congratulated the SCS team for completing the Christmas season on schedule, despite the recent bad weather and three bank holidays.