THE amount of waste collected in Somerset that went to landfill dropped to an all-time low in the year 2023/24, according to new figures.

Somerset Council has published the latest reuse and recycling results, which showed 2,300 tonnes of waste reused, an increase of almost 400 tonnes.

The number includes smart tech collected via the Fixy project, as well as furniture and bric-a-brac donated to furniture reuse groups, and reusable textiles collected from the kerbside and via recycling sites.

Reusing items such as mobile phones, furniture, or bicycles is more environmentally friendly than recycling, as it removes the need for items to be broken down, processed and made into something new, the council said.

Meanwhile, the amount of waste going to landfill – 5,500 tonnes – is a record low, while nearly 96% of the 145,000 tonnes of recycling collected stayed in the UK (54% in Somerset), to be turned into new products and packaging, while the county’s recycling rate – 56% – ranks in the top 20% of waste authorities in England.

Councillor Richard Wilkins, executive member for transport and waste services, said: “We’re committed to sharing what happens to our resident’s waste.

“This is the sixteenth year of publishing our recycling and reuse results and wherever possible we recycle waste as close to home as we can.

“Together we’ve saved an extra 5,493 tonnes of carbon compared to last year – the equivalent of taking an additional 2,113 cars off the road for a year.”

Other key figures from the Somerset recycling and reuse data include:
:: 130,484 tonnes of carbon has been saved through recycling the materials collected at the kerbside and at recycling sites, equivalent to taking 50,000 cars off the road for a year
:: 21,106 tonnes of food waste was collected – all of which stays in Somerset, going to an anaerobic digestion plant to be turned into biofertilizer to be used on agricultural land and biogas
:: 48,463 tonnes of garden waste was collected – all of which stays in Somerset, going to Walpole, Dimmer and Priorswood to be composted, ready for use on gardens and farms
:: Somerset’s recycling rate is 56%, higher than England’s average of 43%.

Publishing what happens after each tonne of waste is collected shows reprocessing companies used are legitimate – no recycling is burned, dumped or ends up in the ocean.

Recycling in Somerset could become anything from cardboard boxes and plastic pipes, to soil conditioner and car parts.