MORE household waste is going to landfill in the Borders than almost every other part of Scotland.

Shocking new figures from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency shows that of all the local authorities in the country, Scottish Borders Council is the third worst.

More than 30,000 tonnes of the generated 50,000 tonnes of household waste ended up in the region's only landfill site near Galashiels - a staggering 61.4 per cent.

Over the past decade the Scottish Government has thrown millions of pounds into schemes to reduce landfill and increase recycling.

The Zero Waste target is for all local authority areas to recycle 70 per cent of household waste by 2025.

But Scottish Borders Council only managed to recycle 36.7 per cent of its waste during 2014 - almost 10 per cent lower than in 2011 (46.3 per cent) - and well below the national average of 43.6 per cent.

Borders MSP John Lamont has heavily criticised the local authority for last year's recycling returns.

He said: "These statistics are the first since the council’s unpopular decision to remove the garden waste service from most households across the Borders.

"It also comes after the council controversially cancelled a contract with a firm called New Earth Solutions to build and operate an advanced thermal treatment at Easter Langlee near Galashiels.

“The SNP have been setting grand targets for household recycling, but if these targets are to have any chance of being met, we need to encourage all forms of recycling.

“The council was warned that withdrawing the green bins would inevitably make recycling less popular and these figures are proof that they should have listened. What has particularly angered many Borderers was how the decision was taken after a very limited consultation.”

Out of Scotland's 32 local authorities, only Glasgow City and Eilean Sear send more of their waste to landfill.

Scottish Borders Council admits that the removal of the garden waste scheme was a set back.

A spokesman said: "A decrease in recycling was predominantly due to the removal of the garden waste service, approved by council in December 2013. However, it should be noted that the removal of the service delivers a £450,000 saving per annum to the council.

“It is also important to recognise that the council has seen the tonnage of waste it manages drop by 1,290 tonnes from 2013 to 2014. This is a reduction of around 2.5 per cent and significantly reduces the volume of waste requiring collection and treatment by the council."

The local authority also believes that steps being taken to improve the amount of rubbish that goes to landfill will help them reach future targets.

The spokesman added: “The council is currently developing a new waste management plan which aims to deliver a waste service which is fit for purpose, financially sustainable and reduces the amount of waste being sent to landfill.

“A number of positive steps have already been taken to increase the household recycling rate, including various community recycling centre upgrades, with improvement works beginning at Hawick CRC this autumn. In addition, a new community recycling centre was opened in Kelso this year, while 2015 has also seen a new food waste collection service introduced in six communities.

“The council has also agreed to develop a waste transfer station in 2017, which will improve SBC’s ability to work towards national and European recycling and landfill targets.”