GREEN city councillors have described Oxford's recycling performance as "mediocre" after it released its latest "all-time high" figures.

Oxford City Council said the latest figures, for the year up to March 31, have shown that recycling rates in the city have reached 46.9 per cent - up from the previous year’s figure of 46.25 per cent.

There were 1,170 fewer tonnes of rubbish than last year for the council to collect, and 12.8 more bin lorries of recycling collected.

But Green city councillor and shadow portfolio holder for the environment Ruthi Brandt said it was not an impressive increase.

She added: "These small changes - an increase in recycling rate of 0.65 per cent and reduction in landfill of 1.2 per cent are to be welcomed, but Oxford's performance is still mediocre at best.

"Neighbouring authorities recycle over 65 per cent compared with Oxford's rate of 46.9 per cent.

"The recent 'Blue Bin League' is a good example of innovative thinking and has undoubtedly contributed to the small improvements we have seen this last year.

"But the league needs to be better advertised, there needs to be more proactive education and deterrents to recycling – such as the brown bin charges – need to be dropped."

The total waste per household for 2015/16 was 409.47kg, compared to 414.60kg in 2014/15, a reduction of 5.13kg per household.

John Tanner, city council board member for a clean and green Oxford, said: "Well done to Oxford residents for once again throwing away less and recycling more.

"But all of us in Oxford need to up our game – what we do with that can or bottle, carton or food waste, makes a real difference.

"Too much recyclable stuff still finds its way into the green bin and goes for incineration at Ardley.

"Not enough of us are recycling or composting our food waste.

"Recycling saves money, helps the environment and reduces our carbon footprint."

The council’s recycling team helped to spread the word about recycling by attending or hosting 63 events across the city during 2015/16.

These included high-profile events such as Cowley Road Carnival and the Leys Festival, along with school visits, coffee mornings, and club AGMs.

The council is claiming its best ever recycling performance, but in November 2010 it achieved a recycling rate of 50.5 per cent, although the year to date figure at the time was only 42.9 per cent.

Green city councillor Craig Simmons said: "Initially brown bins for garden waste were free, and then the council started charging for them so that has not helped.

"The improvement in the recycling rate has stagnated and the council needs to be a lot more ambitious and do a lot more to promote recycling.

"I don't think the latest figures are particularly impressive – recycling seemed to have dropped down people's agenda and there should be more emphasis on it because it costs more money to send waste to landfill and that costs the taxpayer."

County councillor for Wolvercote and Summertown Jean Fooks said: "Following an initial success when recycling rates almost doubled, after wheelie bins were introduced, progress has been slow ever since."

City council spokesman Tom Jennings said the council's current recycling target was 47.5 per cent.