Households across the UK are being encouraged to look out for commonly missed items such as empty aerosols, food tins, plastic cleaning and toiletry bottles, pots, tubs and trays that can be recycled but are often missed.

Sefton Council is getting behind this year’s Big Recycling Hunt and urging residents to look out for these recyclable items along with others that are often overlooked. These include egg boxes, plastic and glass cosmetics containers, medicine bottles, clean pizza boxes and bottles for shampoo and domestic cleaning products  such as antibacterial spray.

Small changes

Now in its 20^th year and running from Monday 16^th to Sunday 22^nd October, Recycle Week is a national initiative run by Recycle Now.

According to a study by the Waste and Resources Action Programme, around nine out of 10 people in the UK recycle regularly but over half the nation’s households still put items in their general rubbish which could be recycled instead.

Recycling regularly is just one small change that households can make to tackle climate change.

As part of this, many items such as soft plastics can now be recycled using collections bins at the entrances of local stores. Their label usually advises people not to recycle at home but to recycle with bags at larger supermarkets.

Protecting the environment

Cllr John Fairclough, Cabinet Member for Locality Services, said:
“It’s great that so many people have embraced recycling as a way we can all help tackle the climate emergency and protect our planet, but as this year’s Big Recycling Hunt shows, many of us can do more.

“I would encourage everyone to think about what they are putting in their recycling and more importantly some of those things they are not but maybe should. I know I will be.

“Also don’t forget the store-front recycling points that so much of our previously unrecyclable waste can now be taken to.” 

Check the label

While people are being encouraged to broaden the list of items they put in the recycling, they do need to beware of contamination, so it is always worth checking what can be recycled. Also, items with heavy amounts of food waste and grease should not be put in the brown bin or sack.

Anyone who isn’t sure can check recycleright.org.uk  where they can search by category or enter a specific item to find out where it should be placed.