Helping young people lead the way on recycling
Recycle Week is always a valuable opportunity to bring attention to recycling and this year the focus has been on everyday items that, despite being recyclable, are commonly put in the general waste bin. These items include yoghurt pots, spray bottles, deodorant cans, and perfume bottles.
Last month, to mark this important awareness week, Nottinghamshire County Council invited schoolchildren across the county to get involved and learn about the importance of recycling and how they can help the county to recycle as much as possible.
Around 1,500 young people from 47 schools took part in free educational webinars run by the Education, Communication and Outreach team from Veolia, our recycling and waste partner. During the sessions, pupils found out more about why recycling matters, how to identify items in the general waste bin that can actually be recycled, and how simple sustainable behaviours can be put into practice at home, in school and in the wider community.
Pupils also learned about the recent changes to recycling which mean that residents can now recycle even more from home. Since the end of March, the following materials are now also being collected from households in Nottinghamshire in their recycling bins:
- Plastic food trays, pots, tubs and tubes
- Metal foil food trays, pots, tubs and tubes
- Clean foil (rolled into a ball)
- Cartons and Tetra Pak
If you’re from a school who couldn’t attend the webinars, don’t worry. A recording of the session can be found online. Just visit Veolia’s Recycle Week webpage for more information.
Did you know that Veolia also offers free educational sessions throughout the year at its Materials Recovery Facility in Mansfield? Students can see first-hand how their recycling is processed and are taught the importance of recycling to keep materials in circulation for as long as possible, reducing waste, saving energy and conserving precious natural resources.
Teachers can arrange a tour of the Materials Recovery Facility for their class by visiting: nottinghamshire.veolia.co.uk/education/schools/materials-recovery-facility-school-visits
While Recycle Week might be over, that doesn’t mean we have to end our recycling habits. I would encourage everyone to pay close attention to what they throw away and consider if it could be recycled instead. Whether it is a plastic food tray, a clean piece of foil, a carton or an empty trigger spray bottle, putting the right item in the right bin helps keep valuable materials in use for longer and supports our shared ambition to reduce waste across the county. Remember if you’re not sure if an item can be recycled or not, you can use our free Recycling Checker to find out. It’s available on our website or the free MyNotts app. And to keep our machinery running smoothly please remember to put your recyclable items loose in your recycling bins. Thank you for helping us to recycle as much as possible.
