BASINGSTOKE and Deane Borough Council is one of the worst in the country for recycling.

The borough council has been found to be the 38th worst out of 373 councils, only recycling and composting 29.4 per cent of waste, lower than Test Valley (37.4 per cent) and Wiltshire (40 per cent).

Its highest rate was recorded in 2019-20, when it reached 30.6 per cent.

The council said that it must increase the amount that is reused or recycled across Basingstoke and Deane.

Cllr Laura James, cabinet member for residents’ services and housing, said: “We must increase the amount that is reused or recycled in the borough and reduce waste. One of our key areas of focus is to continue to improve them.”

Hampshire County Council is the waste disposal authority that has the responsibility for processing the waste and recycling collected at the kerbside and the collection sites.

Cllr James added: “As a collection authority, we can only collect what can be processed and recycled by the county.”

There are some items that the council can’t collect but can still be recycled. These items include clothes, shoes, books, and aluminium foil, which all can be taken to a local recycling site.

Cllr James continued: “Looking to the future we are working with the county council to expand the range of items that we can collect. There are national plans to make recycling more consistent and increase what can be recycled here in the UK. This means we will be able to collect and recycle more items.

“It is our priority to increase the amount of recycling we collect via the services already in place before investing in additional services. We are still seeing too many things in the rubbish bins that could be recycled from home or at recycling banks, including tins, cans, plastic bottles, paper, card, glass, and textiles.”