Somerset Council is celebrating record levels of recycling across the county.

The local authority launched its 'Recycling Week' amid record-breaking levels of recycling across the county.

The recycling tracker has shown that the county's recycling rate has reached its highest ever level of 56 per cent.

In real terms that was more than 140,000 tonnes of material, of which 97 per cent remained in the UK for processing. This adds up to 125,000 tonnes of carbon saved from dispersing into the atmosphere.

Recycling Week encouraged residents to boost their efforts further, by seeking out the 'hidden recyclable' in their households.

Launching its initiative the council invited one hundred local people to an open day at a recycling facility, where they enjoyed a behind the scenes look at how their rubbish was repurposed.

Cllr Dixie Darch Executive Lead Member for Environment and Climate Change said: “The recycling tracker is a valuable tool and shows how committed we are to responsibly processing our waste.

“The increased recycling rate and falling landfill are very positive and show that residents are, like Somerset Council, working hard to make the county greener and more sustainable.”