EAST Renfrewshire is leading the way in household waste recycling in Scotland.

Latest figures released by environmental watchdog SEPA show the council has recycled the most household waste in percentage terms during the past three years.

During 2018, households in the area generated almost 44,000 tonnes of waste, of which 66.2 per cent was recycled – way above the national average of 44.7 per cent.

The figures for 2017 and 2016 were the same at 60.8 per cent – again the highest the highest among Scotland’s 32 local authorities.

East Lothian was a close second last year, with a recycling figure of 65.2 per cent, while Renfrewshire was way behind at 49.2 per cent.

Going back further, East Renfrewshire was third in the league table in 2015 and second in 2014.

The amount sent to landfill from East Renfrewshire has also dropped consistently during the past five years, from 43 per cent of the total waste generated in 2014 to 31.3 per cent last year, although some other council areas are faring better in this regard.

The SEPA figures also show less waste is being generated per person in East Renfrewshire.

Last year, each local resident generated an average of 0.46 tonnes of waste.

In general terms, SEPA said the total volume of household waste generated in Scotland fell a further two per cent in 2018 – a decrease of 55,574 tonnes.

A spokesperson for East Renfrewshire Council said: “It is fantastic that our community continues to lead the way in Scotland with their recycling efforts.

“Not only is it good for the environment but it also helps the council save significantly on landfill costs.

“A huge thank-you goes to all our residents for helping to make East Renfrewshire a cleaner and greener place for all to enjoy.”