Nearly 60% of householders in London now claim to regularly recycle their waste according to a new UK-wide survey into consumer recycling habits.

The survey, carried out by national waste management company HIPPOWASTE, has revealed that attitudes towards recycling across the UK in general are more positive than ever before and that more than two thirds of us are now regularly recycling our household rubbish.

However, it's not all good news for environmentalists though despite these initial figures. Although nearly 60% of what we throw away could actually be recycled, only 1 in 5 respondents from London claim to be achieving this rate of recycling.

Furthermore nearly 20% of survey respondents from the London area still find recycling very difficult, which they claimed is because of a lack of facilities and the fact that it takes up too much space in the home.

Only 34% of respondents from London rated themselves to be very good or excellent recyclers. The East Midlands came out on top with nearly 80% of respondents claiming to always recycle their waste and spend at least half an hour per week doing their bit.

Surprisingly, given the green awareness of the younger generation, less than half of 16-24 year olds are doing any kind of recycling, reasons for which include they find it difficult and aren't sure what can be recycled. The over 65s on the other hand are sporting green' halos with over 82% claiming to be top recyclers.

Other highlights from the research include: 71% of male respondents rated themselves as good or excellent recyclers, but the results also highlighted that women are more likely to be the recycling champion in the home Sting was rated as the greenest' celebrity with runners up including Prince Charles, Bill Oddie and Alan Titchmarsh Only 17% of the survey respondents consider recycling to be one of the most important environmental issues facing the country today Over half of the survey participants didn't know what is meant by the term carbon footprint'.

"On the whole these findings show some really positive trends and increases in household waste recycling," said Lisa Fines, head of marketing and retail at HIPPOWASTE. "Awareness is clearly up but there are still some knowledge gaps that need to be addressed across the UK.

"If this is combined with the clear enthusiasm and interest in recycling from the British public, we really will be pushing the country's recycling targets in the right direction."

For more information and some simple tips on how to get recycling at home, visit www.hippowaste.co.uk.

This survey was conducted with a panel of approximately 1500 consumers comprising a representative sample of the UK population (aged 16+) in terms of sex, age, social grade, religion, working status, geography and presence of children.