Figures unveiled today, Monday 2 June 2008, by Gosport Borough Council and WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) to mark the start of Recycle Week (2-6 June 2008), have highlighted a series of ‘hotspots’ in the home of ‘forgotten’ items of recyclable household waste.
From the Recycle Week survey thetop four items which people say they don’t recycle, that can easily be recycled in Gosport are:
1. biscuit and sweet tins (53%)
2. plastic shampoo and toiletry bottles (32%)
3. plastic cleaning product bottles, such as bleach or disinfectants (31%)
4. glass jars, such as those for cooking sauces (20%) (not kerbside but in recycling banks)
Whilst nearly two thirds (62%) of consumers said that they always remembered to recycle items from their kitchen, this falls dramatically to around a third for waste found in other areas of the home, such as the bathroom (36%) and bedroom (34%).
The research also showed that 59% of people focused on recycling cans, plastic drinks bottles, glass bottles, paper and card. Over a quarter (26%) were unaware that items such as plastic detergent bottles, magazines and biscuit and sweet tins could often be recycled3.
This year Recycle Week is about highlighting the extra things we can easily do to recycle more and increase the impact of our recycling efforts either through our bins or through recycling banks around the Borough.
According to Gosport Borough Council, if every household in the South East recycled one more of a range of common household items in their household recycling bin, such as aluminium drinks cans, steel food cans, plastic milk bottles, glossy magazines or glass cooking sauce jars (in the Borough wide glass recycling bins) every week, the total amount collected could really help tackle climate change. “If every household in the South East recycled just one more aluminium drink can each week, we’d save 52,420 tonnes of CO2 – that’s the same as taking 16,589 cars off the road.”
If every household in England recycled ‘one more thing’, the total amount collected for recycling could increase by more than three quarters of a million tonnes and could potentially raise the national recycling rate by up to 3%.
Potential to do more
Industry figures reveal that there is real potential to recycle more. For example, UK households use an average of 331 glass bottles and jars each year, yet nearly half (49% or 162 bottles/jars) are not recycled – the equivalent of three a week. Although these cannot be collected kerbside or placed in recycling bins these could easily be recycled at any of Gosport’s many local recycling banks. Similarly, UK households use an average of 500 plastic bottles each year, yet nearly three quarters (74% or 370 bottles) are not being recycled – the equivalent of seven bottles each week. These are easier still to recycle – plastic bottles of any type can be placed in Gosport’s household recycling wheeled bins.
Cllr Peter Chegwyn, Chairman of the Community & Environment Board at Gosport Borough Council said, “Sometimes we don’t realise how much of our household waste can be easily recycled, or we think that recycling one more thing won’t make a real difference. But figures show that isn’t the case and every little helps.”
For Recycle Week, the Council’s Recycling Team will be holding roadshow events throughout the week in partnership with ASDA, Dock Road, Gosport. The team will be available at the entrance to the store on Tuesday 3 June 2-7pm, Wednesday 4 June 10.30am until 2pm, and Thursday 5 June 2-7pm. Please come along to find out more about recycling in Gosport and ask any burning recycling / composting questions, as well as picking up some freebies!
To find out more about what’s happening in your area during Recycle Week or further information about recycling, visit www.gosport.gov.uk/recycling. Or visit www.recyclenow.com and use the postcode locator to find details of your nearest recycling services. For more information on how to help tackle climate change, visit www.direct.gov.uk/ActOnCO2
