In the biggest and best Recycle Week ever, from 23rd to 29th September, Veolia (Nottinghamshire County Council’s waste contractor) is supporting the Recycle Now project, which is asking residents to take recycling into their own hands and take action to protect our environment.

2019 has been the year of the environmental activist so far and the 17th annual Recycle Week Recycle Now is capitalising on this heightened awareness. tasking residents to act and focus on getting recycling right during Recycle Week.

The week will be full of action, asking people to rinse, crush, squash, sort and separate – in the bathroom, the kitchen, the office and the great outdoors. It will be highlighting the good work from Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycling ambassadors within Nottinghamshire, and hopes to inspire everyone to think about the waste they produce, and how to recycle correctly.

Coun Phil Rostance, vice-chair of Communities and Place at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Taking care of our environment has never been so important, and recycling week is another great opportunity for the council to help support our residents make recycling an easy part of everyday life. The more we can do locally, even the small things, all add up and can help reduce the impact that we have not just here in Nottinghamshire, but across the country.”

Lea Hawkes, general manager for Veolia, added: “Help us make a difference this Recycle Week. For those who aren’t already recycling, now’s the time to start. Interest in recycling is higher than ever, and we hope that everyone in Nottinghamshire will take recycling into their own hands and ensure that the right items end up in the right bin.”

Latest research from Recycle Now reveals that over 60% of UK households are now recycling more than they were a year ago because of environmental concerns.

The research shows that more and more UK households are recycling plastic drinks, cleaning, toiletry and shampoo bottles, amongst other items including cardboard and metal tin cans. Nearly a third of these people cite environmental concerns as the main reason for doing more and others attribute it to an increased awareness of what can be recycled. Whilst the research showed an increase in recycling, it also showed that UK households sometimes incorrectly put items like nappies, toys and toothpaste tubes in the recycling bin.

Top tips for recycling in Nottinghamshire:
● Recycle all of your plastic bottles (without lids), and don’t forget that aerosol cans can go in your kerbside recycling bin with your cans, tins, paper, card, yoghurt pots and margarine tubs too.
● Make sure these never go in the recycling bin: Food waste, nappies, food trays, punnets, clothing, carrier bags and polystyrene.

And if you’re unsure about how to recycle a specific item, remember that the Nottinghamshire Recycling Leaflet can be downloaded in a range of languages from www.veolia.co.uk/nottinghamshire/RecycleForNottinghamshire

Events taking place around Recycle Week include:
Monday 23rd September, 6pm – 9pm, Free Make Do and Mend workshop – Designer Denim at Mansfield MRF (Booking essential)
Thursday 26th September 10 – 11.30am or 1.30 – 3pm – Recycling Open Day at Mansfield MRF (Booking essential)
(Further information and booking links from https://www.veolia.co.uk/nottinghamshire/RecycleWeek2019)