Almost 10,000 tonnes of Worcestershire's recycling rejected

The amount of waste sent for recycling in Worcestershire has risen over the past decade

Almost 10,000 tonnes of waste earmarked for recycling in Worcestershire was rejected last year and sent to landfill instead.

The county council said clothes, shoes and food waste were the items most commonly placed in the wrong bin.

In 2020/21, 122,000 tonnes of rubbish was sent for recycling in the county, making up 44% of the waste collected.

The authority said it encouraged residents to check online for a list of which items should go in which bin.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said people in the county threw away 283,000 tonnes of rubbish during the period, with the amount sent for recycling steadily rising over the past decade.

The amount of recycling being rejected has been steadily declining.

Richard Morris, the councillor responsible for the environment at Worcestershire County Council, said: "Our recycling rate is dependent on our residents ensuring that they know what can and cannot be recycled and placing it in the correct bin."