Could you recycle one more thing?

A new campaign is encouraging residents in Shropshire to find ‘one more thing’ that can be recycled.

The ‘recycle one more thing’ promotion highlights the wide range of materials that can be recycled in kerbside recycling boxes and at recycling centres around the county.

A pictorial guide to kerbside recycling is being delivered to homes across the county by Shropshire Council’s contractor Veolia, to help residents identify items they are not currently recycling.

Last year, on average, each Shropshire household produced about a tonne of waste, of which about half was recycled, which is higher than the UK average.  However, many similar areas to Shropshire show that it is possible to recycle even more.

Local evidence from what is collected from kerbside boxes shows that aerosols are one of the most common things that are missed.  Local residents also often say they are unsure about which types of plastic can be accepted too: whilst most people recycle their plastic milk bottles, plastic items from the bathroom are often overlooked.  The One More Thing campaign aims to help improve awareness so that people don’t forget that plastic shampoo, shower gel and even cleaning products bottles from the bathroom as well as the kitchen can also be recycled.

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for waste management, said:

“We can all recycle one more thing.  People who already recycle plastic milk bottles could try recycling one more thing, such as a meat tray, yoghurt pot or a shampoo bottle.  Even people who already recycle everything that is collected could try taking extra recycling to a recycling centre or local charity shop.  For anyone not already recycling, just doing one thing is an easy way to start – every little bit really does help.

“Even the smallest actions go a long way.  For example, if everyone in Shropshire recycled just one more glass jar each week, over 3,000 tonnes more glass would be kept out of landfill each year.  To put that into context, that would weigh about as much as 300 Park & Ride buses, and by recycling that extra waste over £300,000 of taxpayers money would be saved each year.”

Jon Callaghan, General Manager for Veolia in Shropshire, added:

“Veolia is keen to see recycling levels in Shropshire increase, and we know that providing additional information about recycling to residents can increase the amount of recycling people put out. All of us in Shropshire produce waste, so we can all get involved in this campaign by committing to find one more thing to recycle.”

Visit www.recycleforshropshire.com for ideas about the wide range of everyday items from your home that can be recycled.