A LEAGUE table of England's best and worst recyclers has revealed that households in Suffolk are top of their class when it comes to looking after the environment - beating nearby county of Essex by 21kg.

A LEAGUE table of England's best and worst recyclers has revealed that households in Suffolk are top of their class when it comes to looking after the environment - beating nearby county of Essex by 21kg.

According to the study, the region's annual recycling rates weigh in at more than 233kg per household - the equivalent of two generous sized rugby players.

The independent report was published on behalf of SCRIB, the steel can recycling bureau. Suffolk polled 5th place in an England-wide league table, which show households most and least committed to recycling their paper, glass, textiles, steel and aluminium.

Schools in Suffolk were also applauded for providing a 'grass-roots' education programme, designed to pass the messages onto the next generation.

Nicola Bennett, sustainability manager at SCRIB, who runs education workshops in schools across the UK said: 'It's a fantastic result for Suffolk - they really are committed to a better environment for everyone, which is fantastic news. It's inspiring to know that in spite of the fact the recycling industry is having a bit of a rough time at the moment, people are still keen to do their bit!'

According to the research, the most popular material to be recycled is paper and card, which accounts for 55pc of recycling per household annually. Glass is next highest with around 25pc of recycling containing glass per annum, followed by plastic at 11pc, steel with around 7pc. Aluminium packaging is least likely to be recycled, with an average of only 2pc being recycled per household each year.

For more information about recycling and how you or your school can get involved visit www.scrib.org