Further initiatives have been launched by local authorities, charities and businesses across the UK to mark Recycle Week 2020.
Launched on Monday (21 September) under the banner ‘Together – We Recycle’, the theme for the 17th annual Recycle Week is to thank the nation for continuing to recycle.
A number of councils have moved to thank resident for recycling during lockdown, with many reporting an uptick in the volume of material collected for recycling.
Others have used the week to announce waste reduction initiatives, and on Monday, the Scottish Government announced £70 million of funding for waste infrastructure to mark the event (see letsrecycle.com story)
Hubbub
Kensington and Chelsea council has teamed up with innocent drinks and environmental charity Hubbub this Recycle Week to launch a campaign to encourage West London residents to recycle more.
The councils recycling rate currently stands at 28.6%
The campaign asks residents to catch “recycling’s most wanted”, which refers to high value items such as drinks cans, yogurt pots and bathroom plastics that often don’t get recycled.
The campaign has been informed by a polling of Londoners that showed 1 in 3 find recycling information difficult to understand.
Cllr Cem Kemahli, lead member for environment at Kensington and Chelsea council, said: “I hope residents connect with this fun campaign and it makes recycling at home simpler. Our waste collectors and sorters have made heroic efforts during the pandemic to provide an essential service that we couldn’t manage without. We can all make their jobs easier by recycling the most wanted items.
“Getting recycling right contributes to our ambition for a cleaner and greener Kensington and Chelsea with less waste, better air quality and a carbon neutral borough by 2040.”
Wrexham
Wrexham council is urging residents to recycle food waste this Recycle Week, saying that people need to “take some time to understand everything we can recycle in food caddies”.
The council launched a campaign ‘be fearless in the face of food waste’
The council said that last year it collected 2,540 tonnes of food waste, which the councils said gives “room for improvement” as there is still leftovers put in the general waste.
Cllr David A Bithell, deputy leader of the council and lead member for environment and transport, said:“Unfortunately in Wrexham there are a number of us that still aren’t recycling our food waste, and we strongly encourage these people to change their habits; there’s certainly many reasons why they should.
“Along with the large environmental benefits, we offer free caddy liners, and by recycling food you’re freeing up space in your bins. It also helps to stop your bins from smelling from rotting food – remember your food caddy is emptied every week, your general waste isn’t!”
Emmaus Mossley
Homelessness charity Emmaus Mossley is using Recycle Week to appeal for help, to ensure that “good quality items aren’t wasted”.
By us all working together, we’re reducing waste to landfill – Steve Reynolds, leader at Emmaus Mossley
The charity runs a large social enterprise in Mossley selling donated furniture, household goods and upcycled items.
The charity said that it is “helping to ensure that thousands of items every week are saved from the waste chain”.
Steve Reynolds, deputy community leader at Emmaus Mossley, said: “Recycle Week is a great opportunity to encourage everyone to reduce their consumption of new products, reuse what you can and recycle items at the end of their life.
“Here at Emmaus we are always looking to improve our social enterprise, promote reuse and reduce the volume of items that cannot be sold. By us all working together, we’re reducing waste to landfill, doing our bit for the environment and helping to sustain the support offered to people who have experienced homelessness.”
Lighting green
Councils have announced that they will be lighting buildings up green to mark Recycle Week.
Buckinghamshire council will light its Gateway offices in Aylesbury, while Redditch borough council will be lighting up the Town hall and the Abbey Stadium. Wrexham will also light its Guildhall balcony.
A number of other landmarks across the country have also been lit up green to mark Recycle Week (see letsrecycle story)
The post Recycle Week 2020 round-up appeared first on letsrecycle.com.
Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
