LATEST figures show Carmarthenshire is in the top five Welsh local authorities for recycling its rubbish.

Between October and December 2012, residents in Carmarthenshire recycled or composted 53 per cent of their waste.

Top of the table was Denbighshire at 57 per cent.

The overall figure for Welsh authorities was 50 per cent, which means Wales remains on track to meet its first statutory target.

The Welsh Government’s overarching waste strategy, Towards Zero Waste, set ambitious targets of recycling 52 per cent of Wales’s waste by 2012/13 and 70 per cent by 2024/25.

Natural Resources Wales monitors the performance of local authorities and validates the amount of waste collected that is recycled, reused or composted.

Executive board member for Street Scene, Cllr Colin Evans, said: “I am delighted with these latest figures which show that here in Carmarthenshire we are doing very well in recycling our waste.

“I would like to thank householders for separating their rubbish so that it can be recycled and for making sure any food waste they have is composted by using their green food bin.

“We are still waiting for quarter four figures to be validated, however, we are confident that we will reach and even exceed the 52 per cent statutory target for recycling for 2012/13.”

A number of initiatives are under way to help residents in the county to recycle including recently appointed community recycling advisors.

The aim is to reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill and increase Carmarthenshire’s recycling rate.

Cllr Evans added: “Although we are doing very well, it is important we do not become complacent; the targets are getting more difficult so it is important we continue to recycle and compost as much as we can.”