The amount of household waste sent for recycling in Northern Ireland has increased by 1.5% compared to the same period last year.

Statistics published by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs revealed that the quarterly household recycling rate for April – June 2016 was 46.4%.

Also compared to the same period last year, the tonnage of household materials sent for landfill fell from 90,149 to 85,615 tonnes.

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Agriculture Minister Michelle McIlveen welcomed the figures.

She said: "We all need to continue this good work – not only does it benefit our environment but it contributes towards a wider circular economy. This is where we keep using resources for as long as possible to extract their maximum value before recycling them, with a huge resultant positive impact on efficiency and competitiveness in Northern Ireland.

"As local councils implement changes, such as increasing the range of waste collected at the kerbside, I would encourage everyone to double check to ensure you are not inadvertently disposing of waste that could be recycled or composted."

(CD)