As Recycle Week 2019 continues, letsrecycle.com rounds up more events and campaigns from across the country.
With news on: Cambridgeshire councils in contamination warning; Scotland highlights food waste recycling businesses; Tefal and Sainsburys launch recycling scheme; Merton’s recycling rate at record level, and; NE Lincs share tips for Recycle Week.
Cambridgeshire councils in contamination warning
This Recycle Week South Cambridgeshire district and Cambridge city councils have released a list of the strangest items they have wrongly found in their recycling bins.
A games console is one of the items which has contaminated recycling in Cambridgeshire.
Non-recyclables which have ended up in the area’s blue bins include grenades, games consoles, disco lights, wellies, toilet seats and a bowling ball.
These items cannot be recycled and can lead to recycling loads being rejected when they reach the waste management park for sorting. If found in a resident’s recycling bin by collection crews it means the bin will not be collected until the incorrect item is removed.
Cllr Bill Handley, South Cambridgeshire’s lead cabinet member for environmental services, said: “We should think of the material we put into our blue bins as an asset, not rubbish, because the waste from our blue bins is sorted and then sent off to re-processors to be made into new products.
“The council is paid for every tonne of suitable material and the money raised is reinvested into Council services. So, your efforts really do make a difference.”
Scotland highlights food waste recycling businesses
Zero Waste Scotland is highlighting two Scottish companies who are creating products from food waste as part of its Recycle Week activities.
Revive Eco makes garden fertiliser and other products from used coffee grounds
Revive Eco is based in Glasgow and turns used coffee grounds into garden fertiliser, as well as working on the extraction of biomass oil from used coffee, which can be used as an alternative to palm oil.
Fergus Moore, co-founder at Revive, said: “There are currently over 500,000 tonnes of coffee waste created in the UK, with 40,000 tonnes of that being created in Scotland alone.
“From this waste, we can extract oils, create a soil conditioner and also a sustainable biomass fuel source. This truly closes the loop on coffeeshop waste.”
Forres-based Maclean’s Highland Bakery is working to both reduce waste and create sustainable packaging.
The company has taken draff – a fibre by-product of beer and whisky production – to produce a biscuit that benefits from the extra flavour but uses material that would otherwise go to landfill.
Lewis Maclean, managing director, said: “We feel we have developed a product that meets the needs of the next generation of shoppers.”
Both companies have been supported by Zero Waste Scotland.
Tefal and Sainsburys launch recycling scheme
Cookware brand Tefal has launched a new recycling scheme this Recycle Week, in partnership with Sainsbury’s.
From 25 September to 15 October Sainsbury’s will offer customers the chance to take back their used pans at 300 superstores across the country, as well as offering a third off Tefal’s new So Recycled range.
The So Recycled range of pots and pans are made from 100% recycled aluminium and their energy-efficient production contributes 90% less harmful carbon emissions compared to standard pans.
Tefal already has existing ranges of cooking tools made from recycled materials in its Enjoy 2in1 and Resource Tools collections, which use 95% and 90% recycled materials respectively.
Merton’s recycling rate at ‘record’ level
Merton council is marking Recycle Week with the release of new data showing that recycling rates in the borough are at record levels, following the introduction of a new recycling and waste collection service.
Merton is celebrating Recycle Week with the announcement of its record recycling rate (Image: Shutterstock)
In May the London borough of Merton reached a recycling rate of 47%, just below its target of 48%. This means Merton is on track to make it into the top 25% of London boroughs for recycling by the end of the year, the council says.
The new collection service – which introduced alternate weekly collections and wheelie bins – aimed to increase the borough’s recycling rate from 37% to 45% within 12 months, with a stretched target of 48%. Food waste recycling has increased by 75% from April to August, whilst there has been a 14% reduction in the total amount of waste produced.
Councillor Tobin Byers, cabinet member for the environment, said: “Recycling rates in Merton are at record levels and I would like to thank residents, who have significantly reduced the amount of waste they produce and recycled more of their rubbish.
NE Lincs share tips for Recycle Week
North East Lincolnshire council is touring the region during Recycle Week and sharing recycling tips with residents.
North East Lincolnshire has been holding events in Grimsby, Cleethorpes and Immingham
The roadshow has visited Grimsby, Immingham and Cleethorpes, where the team have been answering questions about how to recycle and what items can be recycled.
The public have also had the chance to try a recycling quiz where they could win a £50 high street shopping voucher for taking part. Ross Castle in Cleethorpes was also lit up green on Wednesday to celebrate Recycle Week.
Councillor Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for environment on North East Lincolnshire council, said: “More and more people in North East Lincolnshire are recycling which is fantastic. Everyone can play their part in helping to protect the environment.
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