Industrial waste has declined by more than a third (36 per cent) in the past seven years, new figures have shown.
Total waste produced by both the commercial and industrial sectors has gone down by a third (29 per cent) since 2002/2003, according to the statistics from Defra.
The industrial sector achieved waste reductions of 13 million tonnes over this period, while the commercial sector saw waste fall by 6.5 million tonnes.
More than half (52 per cent) of industrial material is now being sent for recycling, compared to 42 per cent in 2002/2003.
Commenting on the figures, Lord Henley told Let's Recycle: "Businesses across England have clearly been working hard to not only recycle more, but also reduce the waste they produce in the first place."
He added that the government's plans for a waste review will make it even easier for businesses to recycle goods.
The news preceded a survey by ERP, conducted by YouGov, which revealed that only half of the adult UK population bother recycling their batteries, with a similar percentage unaware of how to get rid of them.
Typical Guttridge equipment used in the recycling industry includes; elevators – bucket elevators – valves
