A LOCAL authority has said the amount of rubbish discarded by every North Yorkshire home weighs the same amount of a small car.

Ryedale District Council said the average home produced around one tonne of rubbish every year, which is around the weight of a Fiat 500.

Councillor Luke Ives chairman of Ryedale District Council's policy and resources committee said: "Making a few simple changes to our shopping habits can make a huge difference to the amount of waste in our bins.

"Reusable drinks bottles rather than single use plastic bottles, reusing ice cream tubs as storage containers or switching from paper towels and cleaning wipes to reusable cloths are all simple lifestyle changes that can have an impact on the amount of waste in your bin."

The council said it had advised residents to choose products with less packaging.

In January, it was reported that households across England were using billions of plastic bags for bread, fruit and vegetables which were not being recycled.

However, Cllr Ives said use of compost bins for consumable products could help reduce household rubbish.

He said: "Home composting can be a great way improve your own garden and using up food leftovers can save you money too – simple lifestyle changes like these can make a big difference."

Ryedale District Council has since teamed up with North Yorkshire Rotters, who organise cookery demonstrations of leftover foods. The North Yorkshire Rotters, funded by City of York Council and North Yorkshire County Council will hold sessions in Malton in March.