Local council in NI top three for rejection of waste for recycling

Local council in NI top three for rejection of waste for recycling

30 July 2025

NEW research has revealed that Newry, Mourne and Down Council is the third ranked local authority in Northern Ireland when it comes to waste rejected for recycling.

The news has been revealed by Belfast waste management experts at BusinessWaste.co.uk who have analysed data to uncover the regions where the most and least recycling is actually 

recycled. Data from DEFRA and DAERA was also used to calculate the recycling rejection rates for local authorities across England and Northern Ireland. 

Just over 16% of waste placed in blue bins was rejected for recycling in the local authority area which positioned it in third place in the recycling rates league table behind Causeway Coast and Glens (17.99%) and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (17.87%) respectively.

In Newry, Mourne and Down, 2,267 tonnes of the 13,888 tonnes of waste sent for recycling, was rejected, placing it 30th overall across the UK.

In Causeway Coast and Glens, residents sent 10,790 tonnes of waste for recycling, of which 1,941 tonnes were rejected, with the local authority placed 21st overall across the UK.

In Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, where 17.87% of all recycling is rejected. Local residents sent 16,293 tonnes of waste for recycling, with 2,911 tonnes rejected. The council ranks 22nd across the whole of England and Northern Ireland. 

At the other end of the scale, Mid and East Antrim has the lowest recycling rejection rate in the region at just 12.10%, followed by Mid Ulster (12.80%) and Fermanagh and Omagh (14.46%) respectively.

Graham Matthews, Belfast waste management expert at BusinessWaste.co.uk, said there is a certain onus on households to ensure they are recycling correctly to reduce contamination. 

“However, we’d encourage local councils to dedicate resources to educating the public on how best they can avoid recycling rejection with guidance on what can and can’t be recycled, alongside tips for cleaning materials,” he said.

Graham added: “Local councils could also consider imposing fines more frequently for those who regularly disregard recycling rules as a deterrent.”