THE million-tonne milestone for recycling household waste has been reached by Wiltshire Council.

The figure marks the success of a drive to encourage people to recycle rather than throw away and means millions of pounds has been saved in landfill tax.

The pressure on landfill space has also been eased by the drive to recycle cans, paper, card, plastic and glass.

Since 1996 a number of measures have been introduced to encourage recycling, including kerbside collections and opening recycling centres managed by Hills Waste Solutions on behalf of county’s councils.

Andy Conn, head of waste management at Wiltshire Council, said: “We’re very happy. It’s really a result of all the hard work Hills have done for us, not forgetting all those residents who have responded to the service changes.

“There are environmental and financial benefits and there’s a community element to it as well.

“Of the financial pressures, the most obvious is the landfill tax, which is £56 per tonne this year and will be £80 per tonne in three years’ time.”

The average household in Wiltshire now recycles 41 per cent of its waste, which adds up to 90,200 tonnes a year across the county.

The council has set itself a target of making this 50 per cent by the end of next year, with collection changes due to be brought in.

By spring, every household will have cardboard, plastic and compost collections.

Mike Hill, chief executive of Hills Waste Solutions, said: “We’re over the moon about it.

“It took us 11 years to get the first 500,000 tonnes, four years to get the second and hopefully it will only take us a couple to get the next 500,000 tonnes.

“When we started in 1996, we only had two household recycling centres, in Salisbury and Warminster.

“Earlier this year the council opened the 11th, in Marlborough, and this is in addition to the kerbside collections which have been going since 2003.”

TIPPING the scales - Homes in Wiltshire produce 220,000 tonnes of household waste from 163,000 households each year.

- When the first two recycling centres opened in 1996, less than 20 per cent of household waste was recycled. - A total of 41 per cent, or 90,200 tonnes, is currently recycled, but this figure is expected to rise.

- Wiltshire Council has set a target of recycling 50 per cent of household waste by the end of next year.

l It took 11 years to collect the first 500,000 tonnes, but just four to collect the second 500,000.

- There are now 11 household recycling centres in Wiltshire.