Barnet taxpayers had to shell out hundreds of thousands of pounds to deal with waste wrongly placed in recycling bins last year, figures suggest.

The Local Government Association (LGA) is calling for labelling on packaging to be made clearer, to avoid recyclable waste getting mixed-up with non-recyclable items – an issue estimated to have cost English councils around £60 million last year.

Data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) shows 3,281 tonnes of waste collected by Barnet Council were rejected at the point of sorting in the year to March – more than the 2,925 tonnes rejected the previous year and the largest volume since records began in 2014-15.

Recycling charity Wrap – which works with governments and companies on sustainability – estimates that waste disposed of as recycling, which is then found not to be recyclable, costs councils around £93 per tonne to dispose of.

This would mean that rejected waste cost taxpayers in Barnet an estimated £305,133 in 2020-21 alone.

Overall, the authority collected 159,224 tonnes of waste, up from 156,325 the year before.

David Renard, environment spokesman for the LGA, which represents councils, pointed the finger at manufacturers who produce non-recyclable plastic packaging – which is then put in the recycling bin by people “in good faith”.

He said: “The burden then falls on councils to not only collect it and dispose of it, but to pay the extra cost of disposing of it.

“At a time when councils are working towards achieving net zero, they are doing so with one hand tied behind their back, courtesy of manufacturers who are littering our communities with plastic they know cannot be disposed of sustainably.”

Across England, 647,000 tonnes of recycling were rejected in the year to March – the largest amount since records began in 2006-07, up from 525,000 tonnes the year before.

Defra said a consultation had taken place on a proposal to force producers to label their packaging clearly, so that people would know if items are recyclable or not.

A spokeswoman said: “We want to make recycling easier and ensure there is a comprehensive, consistent service across England.

“Our landmark Environment Act will transform the way we deal with rubbish.”

The act states food and garden waste should always be collected separately from dry recycling and residual waste.

“It means recyclable materials will have to be collected separately, while separate food waste collection will also help reduce contamination,” she added.