A Scottish Government target to recycle or compost half of all household waste by 2013 has been missed, new figures have revealed.
Councils across Scotland recycled 42% of the household waste they collected last year, according to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
The figure is only a slight increase on 2012, when 41% of household waste was recycled, though it is up 10% on 2007 levels.
Only nine of Scotland’s 32 local authorities met the 50% target, though those in Courier Country were among the best performing.
Clackmannanshire topped the recycling figures at 60%, while Fife (56%), Perth and Kinross (54%), Stirling (53.7%) and Falkirk (53%) all exceeded the target.
The worst-performing councils were Shetland (12%), Dumfries and Galloway (24%) and Glasgow City (27%).
Recycling rates in Dundee (31%) and Angus (43%) also missed the targets but each figure represented a considerable improvement on the previous year.
Though Perth exceeded the 50% target, its figures represented a 1% decrease on the previous year.
A council spokeswoman accepted that the recycling effort had “plateaued” but said significant efforts were being made to boost recycling once again.