RECYCLING in County Durham has shown a massive increase since traditional household waste tips were upgraded - but at an increased cost to the taxpayer.

A new report, to be put to Durham County Council's cabinet later this month, will reveal that recycling soared by more than 50 per cent over the past year following an upgrade to ten of the 15 civic amenity sites, paid for through a £1.6m Government grant.

At one site, in Potterhouse Lane, Durham City, just short of 70 per cent of all waste taken there by householders was recycled, compared to less than ten per cent at the sites which had not been improved.

Councillor Brian Myers, the council's cabinet member for waste minimisation and management, said: "There's no doubt that the improvements have paid handsome dividends and have helped make real and rapid progress in meeting the Government's recycling targets.

"But while there have been significant benefits in terms of sustainability, there's also been a price to pay.

"There is a belief that recycling waste generates income, but in fact, the lack of local markets and the increased quantities of recycled materials generated nationally means that, at the moment, waste recovery and recycling in the North-East is still more expensive than landfill.

"While it costs £35.76 per tonne to dispose of waste direct to landfill, the current cost of dealing with waste delivered to our Household Waste Recycling Centres is around £45 to £50 a tonne.

"Nevertheless, we have a statutory and moral responsibility to increase our rate of recycling and the additional costs are something we shall have to continue to bear."

Coun Myers said the cost of dealing with the 64,000 tonnes of waste forecast to be delivered to household waste recycling centres in County Durham this year would be about £3m.

He added that costs would continue to rise further as new legislation requiring the recycling of electrical appliances and TV monitors comes into force.