A NEW study has placed Chester among the greenest cities in the UK.

The research included metrics such as the percentage of recycled, reused or composted waste, the air quality, and the number of nature and park attractions in each UK city. Each city was scored and then ranked out of one hundred based on these factors.

Coming in third on the list is Chester, with the city scoring 81.99 out of 100 on the study’s green score. 54.5 percent of all household waste is recycled in the city, with Chester scoring 2.86 for air quality. There are 25 nature and park attractions in the city, which is around 3.25 per 10,000 people.

The study found that the Somerset city of Bath is the UK’s greenest city, with a ‘green score’ of 87.79. This is due to there being 59.2 percent of all household waste being recycled, along with an average air quality of 3.12, based on 2022 data, which is the joint second highest of any city. The analysis also found there to be 28 nature and park attractions in the city, which is around 3.33 per 10,000 people.

Taking second on the list is the historic city of Canterbury, scoring 87.54 out of 100 on the study’s green score. The city comes in with 40.9 percent of all household waste being recycled, along with the joint highest air quality, with a score of 3.15. The city also has 25 nature & park attractions, which is around 4.53 per 10,000 people.

Inverness takes fourth place as the only Scottish city in the top ten, with a clean score of 77.45. 37.3 percent of all household waste is recycled in the city, which scores 2.87 for average air quality. Additionally, there are 3.81 nature and park attractions per 10,000 people.

Rounding out the top five is Winchester, which scores 75.71 on the green score. This is due to an air quality score of 3.15, 40.5 percent of all household waste being recycled, and there being 2.95 nature and park attractions per 10,000 people.

The analysis, compiled by national skip hire company ReliableSkip.com, placed Norwich, Colchester, Oxford, Cambridge and St Albans within the rest of the top ten.

Paul Bennett, Operations Director at ReliableSkip.com, said: "While we can all do our bit to help keep the UK, and the world, green, through methods like recycling, it’s imperative that this is also enforced and encouraged in the public eye. This is why it’s interesting to see the difference some cities have in their waste management, with some cities doubling others on the amount they recycle."