How much household waste the average Hartlepool person produces

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs data shows Hartlepool Boroiugh Council collected an average of 411.1kg of household waste per person from homes in the area in 2020-21 – down from 414.4kg the year before.

Nationally, 420.6kg of household waste was collected per person – compared to 407.3kg in 2019-20.

Around 30% of household waste in the area was sent for reuse, recycling or composting in 2020-21 – down from 34% in 2019-20.

Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy is urging people to try and reduce their packaging waste ahead of Christmas.

Allison Ogden-Newton, chief executive of Keep Britain Tidy, said over 100,000 tonnes of plastic waste will be generated on Christmas Day nationally and a billion cards are thrown away.

She added: “We all have a part to play in making the changes that will limit global warming and stem the rising tide of plastic that is choking our oceans.

"We must do better. Think should be thinking about what they buy, what they consume, and what they will do with the packaging waste afterwards.

"Then they have to make the right choices for our environment.”

Nina Schrank, senior campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said the coronavirus pandemic will have contributed, with people receiving more deliveries and disposing of more waste at home.

She added: "At Christmas seeing mountains of waste, especially masses of plastic, makes us feel very aware of the environmental impacts of our purchases."