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RECYCLING rates in Birmingham have soared by up to 18.5 per cent following the introduction of the first wave of wheelie bins.

According to new figures council binmen collected more plastic, glass, tins and paper for recycling after wheelie bins were rolled out to 22,000 homes in Ladywood, Winson Green, Aston, Nechells and parts of Handsworth last summer.

The figures comparing the six months between August and January in 2013 with the same period last year also show that there was a 16.5 per cent fall in residual waste going to landfill or the Tyseley incinerator.

Council bins chief Lisa Trickett said the figures show that the controversial introduction of wheelie bins , backed by a £30 million Government grant, has been a success.

She said: “This is good news, we are starting to see a real improvement in recycling rates and just as important the amount of residual waste has decreased.”

She added that these figures would further improve as more and more homes in the city start using wheelie bins.

Residents in Yardley, Hall Green and Hodge Hill have recently received their bins, with households in Sutton Coldfield, Erdington and Perry Barr to follow over the next two months. The remainder of the city will get theirs by the end of the year.

At the same time Birmingham has controversially started charging for garden waste collection - grass cuttings and hedge trimmings. The council has admitted the introduction of the charge was rushed leading to huge problems with dumped rubbish last spring .

The figures for the first 22,000 homes were:

Residual (household) waste - 16.54 per cent decrease

August 2013 to January 2014 : 9,604.48 tonnes

August 2014 to January 2015 : 8,016.20 tonnes

Multi recycling (plastic, glass, tin) - 18.5 per cent increase

August 2013 to January 2014 : 795.22 tonnes

August 2014 to January 2015 : 939.59 tonnes

Paper recycling - 9.6 per cent increase

August 2013 to January 2014 : 596.90 tonnes

August 2014 to January 2015 : 654.06 tonnes