How much of our waste is recycled?
44.5% of household waste in the UK was recycled, composted or reused in 2024. Wales was highest at 58.6% and England was 43.8%. In 2014 the UK rate was 44.8%.
Of household waste, 2024. down 0.3 points on 2014.
2024.
2024.
Recycling over time
What’s this?
The share of waste from households that is recycled, composted or reused, across the UK.
What it cannot tell you: It counts what is collected for recycling, not what is actually recycled in the end. Rejected material and exports are included in some years.
What’s this?
The same measure for England.
What it cannot tell you: Recycling is a devolved matter, so each nation has its own rules, collections and targets.
What’s this?
The same measure for Wales.
What it cannot tell you: Recycling is a devolved matter, so each nation has its own rules, collections and targets.
What’s this?
The same measure for Scotland.
What it cannot tell you: Recycling is a devolved matter, so each nation has its own rules, collections and targets.
What’s this?
The same measure for Northern Ireland.
What it cannot tell you: Recycling is a devolved matter, so each nation has its own rules, collections and targets.
What’s this?
The weight of food, paper, garden and other waste that rots, from households and businesses, that is buried in landfill. Burying it makes methane.
What it cannot tell you: It counts only the part of municipal waste that rots; it is not all the waste that goes to landfill.
Year by year
Share of household waste recycled, composted or reused.
| Period | Household waste recycled, UK | Household waste recycled, England | Household waste recycled, Wales | Household waste recycled, Scotland | Household waste recycled, Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 44.5% | 43.8% | 58.6% | 42.7% | 50.1% |
| 2023 | 44.6% | 44.0% | 57.0% | 42.2% | 50.2% |
| 2022 | 44.1% | 43.4% | 56.5% | 42.0% | 49.2% |
| 2021 | 44.6% | 44.1% | 56.4% | 41.7% | 48.4% |
| 2020 | 44.5% | 44.0% | 56.3% | 41.0% | 49.1% |
| 2019 | 46.0% | 45.5% | 56.6% | 43.5% | 50.6% |
| 2018 | 45.0% | 44.7% | 54.1% | 42.8% | 47.7% |
| 2017 | 45.5% | 45.2% | 55.2% | 43.5% | 46.3% |
| 2016 | 45.1% | 44.9% | 54.8% | 42.8% | 43.3% |
| 2015 | 44.5% | 44.3% | 53.3% | 42.1% | 42.1% |
| 2014 | 44.8% | 44.8% | 53.3% | 41.0% | 42.6% |
| 2013 | 44.1% | 44.2% | 52.2% | 39.6% | 41.5% |
Questions people ask
What counts as recycled?
Waste from households that is collected for recycling, composting or reuse, as a share of all household waste, including what goes in the rubbish bin.
Why does it differ across the UK?
Waste is a devolved matter: each nation sets its own targets, collections and charges, so the rates differ.
How much waste goes to landfill?
The biodegradable part of municipal waste sent to landfill was 0.0m tonnes in 2024, compared with 0.0m tonnes in 2010.
What does “household waste recycled, uk” measure?
The share of waste from households that is recycled, composted or reused, across the UK. It was 44.5% (% of household waste) in 2024, down 1.5 points on 2019. The highest we have is 46.0% (2019) and the lowest 40.4% (2010).
What does “household waste recycled, england” measure?
The same measure for England. It was 43.8% (% of household waste) in 2024, down 1.7 points on 2019. The highest we have is 45.5% (2019) and the lowest 41.2% (2010).
What does “household waste recycled, wales” measure?
The same measure for Wales. It was 58.6% (% of household waste) in 2024, up 2 points on 2019. The highest we have is 58.6% (2024) and the lowest 44.0% (2010).
What does “household waste recycled, scotland” measure?
The same measure for Scotland. It was 42.7% (% of household waste) in 2024, down 0.8 points on 2019. The highest we have is 43.5% (2017) and the lowest 32.5% (2010).
Sources: Defra, UK statistics on waste. Updated every night. Each chart has a CSV and a Share button.
See also: Greenhouse gases · Water