A FANFARE has greeted new figures which show recycling is on the up in Welwyn Hatfield.

The soaring recycling rates were put down to the new alternate refuse and recycling collection service, which is now “live” throughout the borough.

Every week during March, one quarter of the borough’s homes joined the new service.

Despite the fact that not all residents were receiving the new service until the end of March, a Welwyn Hatfield Council spokesman said it had already had a big impact on how waste is managed in the area.

In March, nearly twice as much glass, cans and plastics was collected than normal. That was up from 160 tonnes to 320 tonnes.

The council also sent 33 per cent less trash to landfill.

Bob Jewell, the council’s director of finance and operations, said: “The levels of recycling are impressive and show the benefits of the new, extended recycling service.

“Now the whole borough is able to take part, we expect recycling to increase even further in April, with the amount of waste to landfill continuing to drop.”

The council conceded the change in collection had been “a big shift for residents” and the spokesman thanked people for “accepting and helping them implement the new service”.