County Council Joins National Movement to Rescue Recycling Champions

 Now in its 21st year, Recycle Week, organised by Recycle Now, is the UK's biggest celebration of recycling. It spotlights the nation's recycling habits with a range of activities happening across the country.

For Recycle Week 2024, Worcestershire County Council is rallying residents to join an urgent mission to rescue five often-overlooked recyclable items and give them a new lease on life through the magic of recycling.

Despite nine out of ten people recycling regularly, Recycle Now’s latest research shows that 79% of us are still tossing at least one recyclable item into the black bin. That’s where Worcestershire’s Recycle Week campaign comes in - targeting those easily forgotten items that could make a huge difference if recycled.

Councillor Emma Stokes, Worcestershire County Council, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said: “Recycle Week is a fantastic opportunity to thank our residents for their efforts and remind them of the variety of materials that can be recycled in the green bin. Many people don’t realise that items like perfume bottles, toilet roll tubes, and aerosols can all be recycled, saving precious resources and reducing the need to extract raw materials like oil and metals from the Earth.”

Craig Stephens, Senior Campaign Manager for Recycle Now, added: “We are delighted that Worcestershire County Council is supporting Recycle Week. While a light-hearted campaign, recycling is essential to limit the impact what we buy has on the environment. Keeping these materials circulating means we can reduce emissions linked with our weekly shop. Most people are recycling, and the material we capture has a multitude of uses, so the next step is to ensure everyone captures everything they can. Every aerosol, every trigger spray bottle, every plastic pot, perfume bottle and toilet roll tube. Rescue – recycle!”

To bring this message home, Recycle Now has created a quirky team of characters to highlight the plight of five packaging ‘heroes’ most often placed in the black bin. 

Meet Dee Dee the deodorant, Rey the plastic trigger spray, Yogi the yoghurt pot, Fitz the perfume bottle, and Hube the humble toilet roll tube. These characters will star on recycling trucks, in schools, and across social media, spreading the message far and wide.

Worcestershire County Council is calling on residents to rescue these five heroes by making sure they don’t end up in the black bin but in the green bin where they belong. Every action helps keep valuable materials in circulation, reducing waste and protecting our planet’s resources.

Join the movement this Recycle Week by using the hashtags #RescueMeRecycle and #RecycleWeek on social media. Follow the action by following Recycle Now on Twitter/X and Instagram for tips, challenges, and ways to make an impact this week. 

Let’s rescue those recyclables together!