BASINGSTOKE and Deane Borough Council is the 10th worst district in Britain for recycling household rubbish, the latest Government figures show.

An annual review of recycling published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) shows that the borough recycled 23.95 per cent of household waste during the 2011-12 financial year.

This ranks the council 343 out of 352 authorities in the UK, and 12th out of the 13 Hampshire local councils, with only unitary authority Southampton a worse performer.

The good news is that more recent regional figures from the borough council suggest that Basingstoke and Deane has jumped higher up the county league table.

The total recycling rate hit 26.05 per cent in October 2012, and Basingstoke has now jumped above Rushmoor, Portsmouth, and Southampton in the recycling rate league table.

This boost has been attributed to the council’s move in October 2011 to share its bin collection service with Hart District Council and the introduction of kerbside glass recycling.

However, the fact remains that Basingstoke and Deane has a long, long way to go to challenge some of the country’s top recyclers – such as the Vale of the White Horse District Council in Oxfordshire which topped the national league with 68.7 per cent of all household rubbish recycled.

A number of initiatives have been announced to help boost recycling in Basingstoke and Deane. In a report to the borough’s housing and environment overview and scrutiny committee, officers outlined a 12-point plan to bump up the recycling rate.

Some of the ideas tabled included investigating the possibility of food waste recycling, boosting the take up the optional garden waste service by 20 per cent, and trying to recycle more rubbish by street cleaning teams.

“It is good that we have now the highest increase in Hampshire over the last period,” said the borough’s environment chief Councillor Robert Donnell.

“I think it’s very good we are not the last in Hampshire. Do we want to get it better? Yes. Will that take cross-party support in implementing new services? Yes.

“If we have got that support for introducing new services, that will be a great step forward to hitting those percentages.”