September’s Top Tip

This month……………………………………………. Plan and research around your local recycling sites ♻

How many times has recycling come up on this blog?! It’s such an integral part of creating a more circular, sustainable world, so must be a skill that we practice and improve on.

This month, make a map (mental or a physical list, your preference) of what you can recycle near you. For instance:

• Many more items with plastic packaging, such as bread wrappers and crisp packets, now have a sign on the packet saying that they can be recycled with bags at large supermarkets. So next time you do the big shop, check out which supermarkets near you have a drop off point and start collecting them at home, ready to take when you next visit. Doing this can really help cut down on hard to recycle packaging going to waste, especially as schools restart and the lunch box crisp packets build up again. Plan – check local supermarkets.
• Do you have any community recycling schemes near to you? Examples could be pens, stamps, crisp packets or clothing. These may be run from workplaces, town halls or just someone in the community, so keep your eyes peeled for information posters, collection boxes or social media posts. Plan – look for community schemes on local notice boards and online groups.
• Check out your nearest Terracycle point and start collecting packaging with the Terracycle logo. Then simply drop off at a designated site once you have filled your bag/box etc, and reduce the amount of landfill you and your household create. Plan – check local point online and see what you can access in person, additionally checking what each site can recycle.
• Always research recycling before you chuck anything out. Even very used items, such as clothes, that may be beyond wear, can be recycled as textiles. The production of such materials has a very high carbon cost, so needs to be recycled to keep these materials in production. Plan – check smaller recycling containers at local recycling centre.

Recycling is something that is still evolving and improving, just as we must do. So if you do one thing this September, read the packaging of your items a bit more carefully, sort accordingly, and recycle where is most appropriate, and see your general waste bin shrink. Another good step on your sustainable journey ♻