Oxford has been ranked top city in England for recycling.

The latest government figures have confirmed that the five Oxfordshire district and city councils are in the top 25 per cent of all 210 English councils when it comes to recycling.

And a recycling rate of 48.8 per cent makes Oxford the top performing city council in England, according to data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

South Oxfordshire had the highest ‘household waste’ recycling rate in England in 2022/23 at 61.6 per cent. 

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Vale of White Horse had the third highest recycling rate in England at 60.9 per cent with 54.0 per cent of their recycling tonnage being organic.

Both of these authorities has been in the top five councils for ‘household waste’ recycling rates in England for the last six years.

The news comes just before the start of Food Waste Action Week, which runs from March 18 to 24 March.

This year’s theme is "Choose What You'll Use" and aims to get people thinking about cutting the amount of food they waste.   

Councillor Nigel Chapman, cabinet member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies, said: "Oxford topping the league of English cities in recycling is no mean feat when you consider the competition.

"Oxford’s residents should be proud of their efforts and their city.  

“Now, Food Waste Action Week provides an opportunity for us all to take a long hard look at the food we buy, how we buy it, and how we use it – to make a few simple changes that will cut down on waste. 

“For those potato peelings and orange peel that obviously have to be disposed of – always use the separate food-waste caddy, or the red food waste bin in communal blocks."

To mark Food Waste Action Week, the ODS recycling team will host two roadshow stalls to promote the campaign. Residents will be able to pick up free food caddy liners and free food waste reduction promotional items.

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These roadshows will be held on Monday March 18 11:30am to 1:30pm at Tesco Unit 7, Retail Park, Ambassador Ave, Oxford OX4 6XJ and Thursday March 21, 11:30am to 1:30pm at Sainsburys Heyford Hill Roundabout, Littlemore, Oxford, OX4 4XR. 

Food Waste Action Week is the UK's largest annual food waste reduction campaign, uniting businesses, government organisations, and global partners in the fight against food waste.

Last year alone, over 8million people in the UK were reached by the campaign, with participation from 162 organisations and support from 12 countries worldwide. 

To learn more about Food Waste Action Week, visit the Love Food Hate Waste  For inquiries about supporting the campaign, please contact lfhw@wrap.org.uk.