North Ayrshire Council has been ranked second out of all other Scottish councils for its recycling rate.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) reported 56.3 per cent of household waste was recycled in North Ayrshire during the calendar year- a rise from 52.1 per cent the previous year.

Jumping five places in the 2021 evaluation, only East Renfrewshire performed better with a recycling rate of 58.1 per cent.

Councillor Scott Davidson said: “This improvement from seventh place to second place shows, clearly, how committed our communities and staff are when it comes to recycling – thank you to everyone for their fantastic efforts.

“Recycling is a team effort, and we all have a role to play when it comes to managing our waste responsibly and sustainably.

“Everyone can help by doing their bit - by trying to reduce waste and also by recycling where possible. And this is clearly happening, as our encouraging 4.2 per cent increase shows.”

North Ayrshire exceeds the national average – which sits at a fairly low rate of 42.7 per cent.

To keep up the higher-than-average recycling rate, North Ayrshire Council recommend that residents make sure they use the correct bins and make use of the Household Waste Recycling Centres Irvine, Kilbirnie, Largs, and Brodick.

The also encourage residents to donate to places such as the Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company in Irvine.