Islanders are being reminded to put only the correct materials in their recycling as part of national Recycle Week.
Recycle Week, which runs from 17 to 23 October, is aiming to ‘Get Real’ by giving UK citizens real answers to their questions throughout the week and beyond.
Guernsey Waste recycling officer, Tina Norman-Ross said that this year’s UK campaign will focus on three common questions:
- Does my recycling really make a difference?
- One item in the bin can’t hurt, can it?
- Recycling is so confusing, Isn’t it?
The UK campaign is aimed at providing recycling information and insights to answer these questions and clarify that by recycling we can all make a difference regarding the good that recycling does in terms of saving energy, reducing carbon emissions, and preserving resources.
Tina said: ‘’The island has a great track record as far as recycling goes, but by getting our recycling right we can also have a greater impact. One wrong item in the recycling bin from each of us could make a whole lorry load unrecyclable.’’
A recent local study into contamination showed that the biggest concern was in blue bags, because of food containers not being emptied properly or not being rinsed out. That causes issues for the households themselves, as well as the staff who subsequently sort the items by hand.
Tina continued: ‘’One message that has always been important to us is that with recycling, it’s not just about quantity. Quality also counts, and because Islanders have been so good in the past, we’ve always been able to secure markets for our materials.
‘’We are not planning any large events over the week, but we will have lots of information going out through our social media channels with our own tips and hints and inviting islanders to share theirs too.
During Recycle Week, St James Concert Hall will be joining iconic buildings across Northern Ireland and England and turning green to raise awareness for recycling.
Tina explained: “This year’s Recycle Week’s campaign to ‘Get Real’ is an important ongoing message to raise awareness about the importance of getting it right.’’
Guernsey Wastes top five tips are:-
- Tissues and paper towels are unsuitable for recycling and should be disposed of in general waste.
- When recycling food containers, be sure to scrape any leftovers into your food waste caddy, before giving them a quick rinse.
- Make sure aerosols are empty before putting them in your blue bag.
- Clean polythene and bubblewrap should go to Longue Hougue Household Waste & Recycling centre, not in blue bags.
- Before recycling food trays and tubs, peel off any film lid completely and pop that in the bin.
