Recycling Week's turned 21

Recycling Week celebrates turning 21 this year and there’s never been a better time to celebrate the reuse of things we might have binned.

What if we added one more thing to the list of things we recycle? The impact would be huge.

Boots and Tesco both sponsored the week itself and the theme for 2024 was ‘Rescue Me’ which champions the reuse of things that might have ended up in the bin or landfill.

Councils over the last decade or two have been brilliant at introducing bins so we can all recycle more than we used to. They’ve made it easy for millions of people to change their behaviours and start making a difference but what if we all did a little bit more? What if we added one more thing to the list of things we recycle? The impact would be huge.

Get creative with recycling

The website for Recycling Week which supports the week has plenty of information about the campaign and the previous themes including “missed capture” recycling things in the home we might not necessarily think are recyclable.

There’s an action pack for kids with plenty of resources for schools too but despite recycling being hugely important for the environment, there’s a lot of misinformation out there about what can and can’t be recycled.

Recycling happens on your doorstep

Recycling one fizzy drinks can made from aluminium saves enough energy to run a telly for four hours.

Not all recycling goes abroad. The majority of recycling is processed right here in the UK and what does go overseas to be recycled is checked by the Environment Agency to make sure it’s going to a reputable recycler or processor.

Recycling doesn’t use more energy than it saves either. In fact, 95 per cent less energy is needed to make products from materials that have been recycled.

Staggeringly too, recycling one fizzy drinks can which is made from aluminium saves enough energy to run a telly for four hours.

Make sure you wash before you recycle

Rinsing recyclables is important and you don’t have to run a tap to do it, use water from washing up or pop them in the dishwasher if you have room. Sending them rinsed to recycling prevents other recyclables from contamination.

It does matter if you get your recycling mixed up when it comes to kerb side collection. The wrong materials in the wrong places can lead to contaminating recycled materials.

You don’t need to understand the recycling number found on plastics to recycle them – the number is purely so manufacturers know what type of resin was used to make the plastic.

Aerosols can be recycled – from deodorants to furniture polish aerosols, they can all be recycled into other materials.

We can all do something

Recycling Week gives us all a great opportunity to change behaviours and make a difference.

Some 21^st birthdays can be messy but Recycling Week gives us all a great opportunity to change behaviours and make a difference.

Why not start recycling something you haven’t before? Or take the stuff that’s been gathering dust to the refuse and recycling centre – known as the ‘tip’ to some of a certain generation. There’s often areas where you can pick up a bargain from something someone else has decided to get rid of.

If you have unrecyclable materials gathering dust too, get the kids involved in making some art out of whatever it is. There are plenty of ideas and junk artist inspiration on social media.

Disclaimer

The information in this article was correct at the time of writing and is provided for guidance only. Please see the full disclaimer in our terms and conditions.

Please share this article and comment on social.