Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Philip Hollobone (Conservative). It was answered by Viscount Thurso (Liberal Democrat) on Thursday, 29 November 2012 on behalf of the House of Commons Commission.

Recycling

Question: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the recycling rate has been for recyclable materials on the Commons part of the estate in each of the last five years.

Answer: The percentage figures for the amount of general waste recycled or recovered by weight from the parliamentary estate in the last five financial years are as follows: 2007-08, 44%; 2008-09, 47%; 2009-10, 50%; 2010-11, 52%; and 2011-12, 53%. These figures are for the parliamentary estate as a whole, as we are not able to break down the figures by House or building. The percentages exclude batteries that are recycled but for which no weight figures are currently provided and builders’ waste. The figures include food waste, a proportion of which is being sent to an anaerobic digestion facility.

Secondary information