Drive to boost recycling rates

Each household will receive a personalised calendar telling them when to leave waste and recycling out for collection, including the changes to collection days over Christmas and the New Year period.

And in a bid to start 2016 with a boost in recycling rates, the East Sussex Waste Partnership – which includes Rother District Council - has launched a campaign to encourage residents to recycle a greater range of household items.

“Residents across Rother are doing a fantastic job of recycling,” said Cllr Tony Ganly, the council’s cabinet member for waste and recycling. “But we want to drive up recycling rates by highlighting the range of household items that can be diverted from general waste. Analysis of waste collected from the kerbside in May this year showed that nearly a quarter of the items in rubbish bins around Rother could have been recycled.

“We all know the amount of rubbish we generate over the festive period increases, so there is no better time to rethink your recycling routine.”

Many households regularly recycle items such as plastic milk bottles and glass bottles, newspapers and cans, but there are items in almost every room of the house that can be recycled. These include:

• In the bathroom - toilet roll tubes, toothpaste boxes, plastic shampoo and shower gel bottles and lids can be recycled.

• In the bedroom - tissue boxes and deodorant cans

• In the living room - newspaper, envelopes and cardboard packaging, as well as air freshener aerosol cans

• In the kitchen - breakfast cereal and dishwasher tablet boxes, washing up liquid bottles, plastic bleach bottles and surface cleaner bottles, plastic pots, tubs and trays.

Cllr Ganly added: “We want to encourage people to look at their recycling habits and consider every item they throw into their rubbish bin. Every little bit of additional recycling will help make Rother a greener district.”