Recycling superheroes – to the rescue!
This article is based on two campaigns taking place in October – Recycle Week and E-Waste Day. Read more to find out about each one.
Recycle Week runs from 14 to 20 October 2024 and this year has the theme "Rescue Me, Recycle”. The main aim of the campaign is to highlight common types of recyclable waste that often don’t get recycled and ask you to “Rescue” at least one of these recyclable items from your rubbish bin!
Although Oxfordshire has the highest recycling rate of any county council area in the country at nearly 60%, around half of the average rubbish bin is made up of items that could have been recycled.
Recyclable items like Rey – the trigger spray bottle, Yogi – the yoghurt pot and Hube – the toilet roll tube are some items wrongly ending up in the rubbish bin. Can you rescue them from the rubbish bin, so that they can be recycled into something else to continue their stories?
To help keep items like Hube in one piece, please rinse your recyclables like Yogi using leftover water from washing up who may have – this stops remnants such as yoghurt, sauce, grease or residue contaminating the paper and cardboard in your bin and in the collection vehicle which may prevent it from being recycled.
Which items can be recycled?
Use the Waste Wizard search tool to check if an item is recyclable. Just enter your postcode and the item you want to check, and it will give you clear instructions
For further tips follow Oxfordshire Recycles Facebook and X (Twitter) and visit Recycle Now
Recycle Week competition
Oxfordshire Recycles have joined up with the Oxfordshire libraries to run a prize draw for Oxfordshire residents to design your own recycling super hero. You can take part either online or at their local library. The competition closes at midnight on 20 October 2024. Visit the county council website for full details and terms and conditions.
Detangle your cables, join the cable challenge!
International E-Waste Day, on the 14 October 2024, marks the importance of recycling electrical items.
The focus is on cables (with a plug, battery or cable) because they contain precious materials such as copper, which can be infinitely recycled, and can be used again to make new equipment, such as our phones, our transport, clean energy, life saving medical equipment and our green future.
It’s estimated the average UK home has around 15 cables stashed away, and a further eight of these end up in the bin. Electricals should be kept separate from other materials, either being REUSED if they still work or they can be RECYCLED separately and turned into something new.
How do I join the great cable challenge?
- If you have cables, one tip is to label what each of them are for. This way you can identify what you need to keep, including spares, and what you no longer need or use.
- Consider if they can be reused and passed on through platforms such as NextDoor, Freegle or Olio.
- If they can’t be reused, please recycle them through a dedicated electricals collection. Use the Waste Wizard to find out how these can be recycled in your local area.
- Help spread the word to your friends and family by sharing on social media with the hashtag #GreatCableChallenge and #EWasteDay
More information can be found at recycle your electricals