Residents urged to keep up the good work.

Devon has been crowned England’s top recycling county for 2010/11 after achieving a 55 per cent recycling rate.

The county was closely followed by county authorities in Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire and Suffolk.

This was not the picture 20 years ago when the recycling rate in Devon was only two per cent in 1990/91 - although this was considered an achievement at the time and the county was presented with the BT and Friends of the Earth first Recycling County award.

Devon County Council cabinet member for environment and community Councillor Roger Croad, said: “Our high rate of recycling is down to the commitment of residents and we would like to say a big thank you to them.

“People have responded well to the Don’t let Devon go to waste campaign and together with our District colleagues, we feel that our recycling services in Devon are some of the best in the country.

“The challenge for everyone is to help Devon stay at the top by recycling as much as possible, please keep up the good work.”

Devon generates around 378,000 tonnes of rubbish every year and the county council hopes to recycle 62 per cent of its waste by 2020.