According to data released by the Environmental Agency (EA) the amount of waste being sent to landfill in England increased by six per cent between 2014 and 2015.
The data finds that the 343 landfill sites across England managed 43.9 million tonnes of waste in 2015, which is an increase of 2.6 million tonnes from 2014’s figure.
This covers all types of waste, including hazardous, non-hazardous and inert.
Despite the increase in 2015, the data also shows that the amount of waste being sent to landfill has halved since 200/2001, when 80 million tonnes of waste was being sent to sites across England.
Since 2009 however, the figure has fluctuated between 45 and 40 million tonnes.
The overall volume of waste sent for incineration has also risen according to the EA, with a total of 10.4 million tonnes being treated in 2015, compared to 8.6 million tonnes in 2014.
Split into different regions, there were only two that recorded a decrease in waste.
The East of England reported the largest amount of waste being deposited, where an increase of 1.9 million tonnes was reported, from 7 million tonnes, up to 8.9 million tonnes.
In regards to hazardous waste, there was a total of 4.97 million tonnes managed in 2015, with 18 per cent being sent to landfill, 30 per cent being recovered, 22 per cent being treated, and six per cent being sent to incinerators.
Earlier in the year it was reported that Britain is struggling to hit its EU targets, with the country expected to recycle 50 per cent of its household waste by 2020.
Seven other countries find themselves in the same position, with the EU currently considering a more lenient deadline of 2030.
Despite this, recycling rates in England have increased from a tad over 10 per cent in 2000 to 44 per cent in 2015.
In Wales, recycling rates are already over the 50 per cent target, while Scotland finds itself in a similar position to England.
