Residents also come in for praise by the director of public services and works, Keith Ollier, in his response to findings in a new report. The comments come following conclusions from an investigation by the South London Waste Disposal Joint Committee for 1998/99.

Croydon's contribution among five south London boroughs was to handle 163,000 tonnes of waste at its Factory Lane transfer station and three civic amenity sites. That includes materials collected from 136,000 households and nearly 4,000 business customers.

Recycling during the 12 months under review accounted for 24,000 tonnes of materials including metal, glass, paper and home composting.

Nearly 30 tonnes of lead acid batteries were recycled and 102 kilograms of CFC gas were extracted from the 652 fridges and freezers, netting the council £91,000.

The year also saw more than 3,000 tonnes of green waste diverted from the waste stream- helping to produce 1,600 tonnes of Croypost while at the same time saving £100.000 on transport and landfill costs.

Mr Ollier said: "Croydon's record for dealing with waste is first class as is the enthusiasm of residents."