South Hams District Council has come eighth in a list of South West councils rejecting the highest amount of recycling.

The district has five per cent rejected recycling but is in a far better position than first-placed Exeter City Council at 38.82 per cent.

The rejected recycling will likely either be sent to Energy-from-Waste (EfW) plants or, worst case scenario, go to landfill.

Graham Matthews, Devon waste management expert at BusinessWaste.co.uk, comments: “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.“