STATISTICS from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show that in 2003/04 East Hampshire remained in the top 10 local authorities for recycling. East Hampshire District Council strategic manager Mark Reed said: "Our fantastic recycling rate of 32 per cent is due to the huge efforts made by local people. Their enthusiasm for recycling means that we are now well on the way to achieving our next target of 40 per cent. It's East Hampshire residents who have made our collections system work, and they should be proud of their achievements." A comparison of DEFRA's statistics shows that there are three Hampshire local authorities in the top eight. East Hampshire ranks second in Hampshire, and seventh in the country. • The statistics issued by DEFRA on recycling and composting performance standards show East Hampshire with a recycling rate of 36 per cent. However, the DEFRA figures include EHDC results for composting of green waste (4 per cent), so the actual figure is 32 per cent.
