SWINDON has seen one of the largest drops in annual waste being collected for each person in the UK over the last 12 months.

Figures released by the Government show that there has been a drop of 12.5 per cent in council-collected waste in the last year, the ninth biggest reduction of all local authorities in England.

Between 2011-12 there was an average of 415kg of waste collected for each person, but this year it has dropped to 363kg.

There has been an overall fall in the amount nationally, but Swindon’s has been particularly dramatic.

The town also has an above average level of household recycling in the whole of the UK.

Data shows that across all English local authorities an average of 43.2 per cent of waste is recycled while in Swindon it is 44 per cent.

This is a slight decrease on the previous year, which was 48 per cent, but is partly due to a fall in the amount of recyclable waste being thrown away.

It is thought the change is due to the fact that economic factors mean people are buying less and there is also now a greater understanding of the importance of recycling.

A Swindon Council spokesman said: “We are proud of our recycling levels, which compare favourably to councils across the country, and would like to take this opportunity to thank residents for their continued efforts to recycle as much as possible.

“We are not experiencing a fall in the number of people recycling in the borough, although the volume and composition of their waste is changing, which has affected the weight and proportion of recycling collected.

“The recession, for example, has brought an overall reduction in household waste.

“There are also lifestyle differences, such as people buying fewer magazines and papers, which are among the heaviest items.

“In the past couple of years the weight of paper and card being recycled has dropped by more than 10 per cent.”

Wiltshire Council has seen a slight decrease in the amount of waste being collected for each person, with the amount dropping from 465kg last year down to 447kgs this time around.

Their percentage being recycled, however, is slightly higher at 46 per cent – up three per cent on last time.