RICHMONDSHIRE residents are being thanked for their efforts after kerbside recycling rose by almost 10 per cent during the pandemic lockdown.

The district council is marking the current national Recycle Now week by thanking its residents for continuing to recycle their paper, cardboard, glass, cans and plastics through its fortnightly household collections.

Collectors took 890 tonnes of recycling from the kerbside for the three months to the end of June this year – almost 150 tonnes more than in 2019. Garden waste also rose by 131 tonnes and household waste by 280 tonnes.

Councillor Richard Good said: “Not only was recycling increased but so were the household waste collections – up by 280 tonnes – as a result of people being based purely at home for such a long period of time.

“We want to thank all our residents for continuing to recycle in these massive quantities allowing us to recycle around 38 per cent of all the waste we collect every year.”