Hambleton householders are being urged to think ‘recycle’ in every room in their homes.
As part of national Recycle Week (12 – 18 September) officers say there are lots of ‘unusual suspects’ not being recycled.
And by being added to the bins and boxes they could boost recycling figures even more.
“Since we introduced our new recycling scheme 12 months ago we have collected 60% more recycling at the kerbside – 1194 tonnes more!,” said Cabinet spokesperson, Councillor Stephen Watson.
“Recycling is important so it’s great to see this massive improvement! And Recycle Week is an ideal time for us all to take a fresh look at our recycling habits – to see if there are any opportunities to recycle even more items. There are lots of things that can be recycled, but aren’t always being put in the boxes and bins, so through this national campaign we’re trying to raise awareness of them.”
He said residents recycle plastics bottles, pots, tubs and trays, clean food and drink cans, jam jars, cardboard boxes and newspapers, but aerosol cans, foil trays, beauty cream jars, perfume bottles and toilet roll tubes are often missed. In the bathroom or bedroom there are paper and cardboard items such as toothpaste boxes and tissue boxes or plastic shower gel and moisturiser containers to recycle.
And if everyone in the UK recycled one toothpaste box, it would save enough energy to run a fridge in over 2,000 homes for a year.
In the kitchen the unusual suspects help to keep things clean – washing up liquid bottles, soap dispensers, bleach bottles and spray cleaners can all be recycled.
“There are many great benefits to recycling, as many materials can be recycled over and over again with no loss of quality,” added Cllr Watson. “Our recycling is taken to Ward
Recycling Ltd in Teesside where the materials are sorted and separated before being sent to manufacturers who make it into new products. This saves resources, helps the environment, reduces energy use and supports a thriving recycling economy.”
To find out more information or follow ‘The Unusual Suspects’, head to Recycle Now’s facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/recyclenow/ or website: www.recyclenow.com