This week is Recycle Week. Every year Recycle Week unites retailers, brands, waste management companies, trade associations, national & local governments and the media to focus on how recycling can play a part in limiting the pressure we put on the planet through our use of natural resources. This year, Recycle Now are asking us all to take action to protect our environment through even better recycling habits and to  ‘Step It Up’ in the fight against climate change.

Whilst the latest research from Recycle Now reveals that almost 9 out of 10 people now recycle, 55% of households put items in the general rubbish bin that can be recycled. This creates CO2 emissions which could be easily avoided. Click here or here to see what can and can’t be recycled in our local area.

Recycling currently saves 18 million tonnes of CO2 every year, which is the same as taking 12 million cars off the road. By improving our knowledge of recycling requirements, we can ‘step up’ the fight against climate change and come closer to reaching Brighton and Hove Labours pledge of making our city carbon neutral by 2030.

There are some simple things that we can all do to make our recycling even better.

Top tips for recycling in Brighton and Hove:

• Recycle more of these items in your black bins or boxes: empty aerosols, tins and cans (emptied and rinsed), paper and cardboard.
• Make sure to keep glass items like bottles and jars in a separate black box
• Any items that cannot be recycled in by our recycling connection service can be taken to any recycling centre/ points in the city. Click here to view Brighton and Hove councils A-Z of rubbish disposal
• Feel free to cram as much as recycling in your black bins boxes as possible. Crush, stomp on, tear up and make smaller anything you can to fit more into your recycling bin – the more space you save, the more recycling you can fit in and the more we help reduce CO2 emissions.

Opposition spokesperson for environment, transport & sustainability, Councillor Gary Wilkinson, said:

“I know many people in our local community already recycle and I would like to extend my gratitude towards any local residents who separate their waste into recyclable and not, keeping their general household waste to a minimum in the process.

“The emphasis this year’s Recycle Week places on ‘stepping up’ is a great reminder of why recycling is so important – small changes to our communities recycling habits could leader to large improvements in our CO2 emissions.

“Around 95% less energy is used to make products from recycled materials than using raw materials; making 20 aerosols from recycled materials uses the same energy as making one from scratch. By improving our current rates of recycling in our city, we could help towards the fight to save the planet’s natural resources and reduce carbon emissions.”

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Photo credit: Recycle now.