RECYCLING rates in Richmond are predicted to rise by just one per cent this year, prompting accusations the council is not doing enough for the environment.
Households in the borough are on course to recycle 43 per cent of their waste during 2009/10, according to figures from the ruling Liberal Democrats, compared with 41.7 per cent in the last financial year.
That would make it the first year since 2004/05 (when the rate increased from 22 to 23.8 per cent) in which there has been a rise of less than two per cent.
Councillor Martin Seymour, Conservative spokesman for the environment, claimed council figures showed recycling rates had actually fallen from 43 to 42 per cent since blue boxes were introduced at the turn of the year.
He said: "Despite all their rhetoric, the Lib Dems have a terrible record on this [recycling] and other environment measures."
However, Councillor Geoff Acton, cabinet member for the environment, defended his party's record, pointing out that recycling rates had risen significantly from just 28.5 per cent when they were were elected in 2006.
He said: "The council is delighted the published recycling rate data shows a steady increase throughout the period 2001 to date.
"We expect the rate of change to be highest when we make changes to the service, such as the introduction of additional materials, or when there is a
major communications campaign, and to be more steady in between."
He added that the next major recycling push was due next month, when residents would be given free food waste liners to
encourage them to use the food waste collection service.
Richmond is London's fourth biggest recycler, according to figures for 2008/9, behind only Bexley, Harrow and Greenwich.
Residents in neighbouring Kingston recycle 35.4 per cent of household waste - the sixth best record in the capital.
Newham is London's most wasteful borough, recycling just 15.4 per cent of household waste, compared with 50.7 per cent in Bexley.
