Recycling rates in Newham are the worst in the capital, according to new data released today by the London Assembly,

Just 17.65 per cent of household waste was sent for reuse, recycling or composting in 2013/14, with the rest sent into landfill.

Even less waste was recycled in the borough than in the previous year, where 21.04pc was saved from the dump.

The Defra statistics show 16 of the 33 London boroughs recycled and composted less waste in 2013/14 compared to the previous year.

On average, Londoners are recycling 33.9pc of their waste, well below the Mayor of London’s target of exceeding 45pc by next year.

Jenny Jones, London Assembly Green Party member, said: “Some boroughs are trailblazing recycling for London, while others simply appear to have given up. They need to treat waste as a resource, and not just burn as much as they can get away with.”

Bexley was the best performing borough in the capital, recycling 55.21pc of its waste, followed by Bromley (49.63pc) and Harrow (49.63pc).