recycling of household waste has doubled in the last four years, according to new figures.

They show that English households recycled more than a fifth of their rubbish - around 23 per cent - in 2004/05.

The statistics are the first taste of recycling rates in 2004/05 which, although unaudited, provide a good indication what's being achieved.

The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said performance around the country varied with, on average, residents in the North East recycling the least (16 per cent) and people in the East of England recycling the most (29 per cent).

The greatest leap has been in the East Midlands up 7 per cent on last year to 27 per cent.

Local Environmental Quality Minister Ben Bradshaw said: "We've doubled the amount we recycle in just four years.

"These figures prove how much more people understand the importance of recycling compared to even just four years ago. There's no doubt we can be proud of our progress to date, but now it's time to build on that and start catching up with some of Europe's top recyclers.

"Every person in England is recycling enough to fill eight green wheelie bins, but we could be recycling as much as 20 bins worth - up to 60per cent of our waste.

"And local authorities will have to look at improving their recycling rates too. We want to be well on the way to our 2010 target of 30 per cent of waste being recycled.

"Some of our European counterparts are doing it, some parts of this country are too, so it is not an unrealistic goal."

The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) which runs the Government's national Recycle Now campaign for England said every household could recycle up to 60 per cent of its waste.