RESIDENTS in Hambleton have recycled or composted more than any other area in Yorkshire and Humberside.

Figures released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show 34.5 per cent of household waste was recycled or composted in 2004/2005, up from 23.7 per cent in the previous year.

Hambleton District Council introduced a twin-bin system in 2004 for household waste and garden waste. The lowest rate of recycling in the region was in Richmondshire, where only 12 per cent of household waste was put to better use.

Local environmental quality minister, Ben Bradshaw, said: "The foundations are being laid, and as such improvements are being made in Yorkshire and Humberside.

"However, it is disappointing that some authorities are not making the kind of progress we all expect."