THE amount of waste thrown away by households across Malvern Hills District has fallen by more than 1,680 tonnes since the introduction of fortnightly collections.

The new system was launched in April and saw waste being picked up one week and recycling the next on a rotating basis.

Between April and November this year, households threw away 8,172 tonnes of waste, compared to 9,853 in 2017.

The council says this reduction is equivalent to the weight of 9,606 lions or 14,246 giant pandas.

The amount people are recycling has also increased, with 4,660 tonnes being sent to be sorted and reprocessed into other materials since April – up 214 tonnes when compared with the same period in 2017.

Malvern Hills residents also generate the least amount of waste per person than any other part of Worcestershire and have the lowest rates of recycling contamination in the county – which means more often than not people are putting the right item in the right bin.

Cllr Bronwen Behan, the council's portfolio holder for environment, said: “We’re very proud of our residents who are showing the rest of Worcestershire the way when it comes to waste reduction, recycling and protecting our planet.

"I’d like to congratulate everyone for their efforts, wish them a very merry – and hopefully a waste free - Christmas and together let’s drive down our waste even further in 2019.”