Recycle week - Together - We Recycle
Recycle Week runs from the 21st to the 27th September 2020.
Recycle Week is the largest national annual recycling campaign, delivered by Recycle Now.
Now in its 17th year, Recycle Week is a celebration of recycling.
This year, the theme will thank the nation for continuing to recycle despite the challenges that COVID-19 has presented, under the banner 'Together - We Recycle'.
Get our top tips this Recycle Week
Recycling is one of the most impactful (and easiest!) ways to make a positive difference to the environment, but we see a lot of the same recycling mistakes being made by the public everyday. To ensure you never get caught out again, follow these tips:
1. Check before you recycle
Many items such as textiles, electricals, pots and pans wrongly end up in household bins, which can cause problems at our recycling facilities. These items can be recycled but they need to be taken to your local Household Waste and Recycling Centre. If you’re ever unsure how to recycle something, it’s always best to check your local council’s website.
2. Make sure recycling is empty, clean and dry
You don’t need to scrub or sterilise your recycling, but items do need to be free from food residue so they don’t contaminate the other materials. Rinse plastic tubs clean of leftovers and leave them to dry before placing them into your recycling bin for collection.
3. Remove plastic film
Plastic film can’t be recycled, and if it wrongly ens up at recycling facilities, it can get tangled in the machinery, which interferes with the recycling process. Always remove plastic film from bottles, plastic pots, tubs and trays before recycling the the item.
4. Keep lids on plastic bottles
Our motto is simple; lids on, films off. Lids are recyclable, but when they aren’t screwed onto the bottle, they slip through the recycling machinery. To make sure all your lids are recycled properly, keep them on!
5. Start your own recycling project - we could fund you
If you have an idea for a community project that betters your local environment you can apply to Veolia’s Recycling Fund for Communities. Find out how you can apply for cash donations, equipment or volunteers here.