ISLANDERS are with the best in the country when it comes to recycling plastic, new figures have revealed.

According to a special report by the BBC, the Isle of Wight Council and partner Amey are among only a handful of UK authorities that recycle most types of plastics collected from the household.

This has resulted in 55 per cent of all Island household waste being recycled in the 2017/18 financial year, and since February 2016, nearly 4,100 tonnes of plastic collected from homes has been recycled.

Cabinet member for waste, cllr Michael Murwill, said: "We can be rightly proud because we’re exceeding the national target of 50 per cent of waste being recycled by 2020.

"In fact, we’re already recycling 55 per cent – which was originally our target for 2020. We're also tackling other issues, especially targeting plastic polluting our seas, which is something I'm very passionate about."

On the Island, you can recycle most types of everyday plastic, such as food packaging, drinks bottles, milk cartons, yoghurt pots, tubs and cleaning products as long as they are empty, in your green recycling bin or green gull sack.

Items such as cling film or dirty plastic packaging or food trays cannot be recycled and should be placed in your black bin or gull sack.

‘Hard’ plastics, such as children’s toys, outdoor furniture or window frames and PVC products should be taken to the recycling centres at Lynnbottom, Newport or Afton Marsh, Freshwater.

A more detailed ‘A to Z’ list of what items can go in your recycling bin can be found at www.iwight.com/waste.