Campaign offers recycling advice for all UK regions

Celebrity impersonator Alistair McGowan is trying to make a big impression on the British public to recycle more of their rubbish this week by launching the BIG recycle campaign.


Figures provided by the new campaign revealed that while 90% of people in the UK knew that drinks cans could be recycled, only around 50% had ever actually done anything about it.

“Most of us are aware of recycling and that it’s a good think to do, but not enough of us are doing it,” Mr McGowan stated. “All you need to do it separate your recyclable rubbish from the rest. Once you know what can be recycled and where, it’s surprising how easy it is to get in the habit without even thinking.”

The aim of the BIG recycle is provide members of the public with in-depth information about which materials can be recycled, how they are recycled, and what facilities are available in each region.

Organised by leading materials recycling organisations in partnership with the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the new campaign should provide national support for defra’s recent multi-million pound Recycle Now initiative (see related story), which was launched last month.

Speaking on behalf of the organisers, director of PaperChain Kathy Bradley stated that two thirds of households in the UK now had access to a kerbside recycling service, but people still needed to make the effort for it to be effective.

“We still produce more rubbish than ever before and continue to bury most of it in huge landfill sites. This campaign hopes to enthuse and encourage people to recycle more things more often,” she said.

Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Minister Sue Doughty congratulated WRAP and its partners for organising the BIG recycle. She said that many people still did not know the full extent of the recycling facilities that were available to them, and that this awareness was vital to the country’s attempt to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

However, she also added that more support was needed from the Government to help Local Authorities with issues such as meeting the costs of recycling more rubbish, echoing concerns raised recently by Friends of the Earth (see related story).

“The Government must now ensure that campaigns like the BIG recycle are supported by their waste strategy, which as it stands is pushing too many Councils towards incineration instead of the reduction, reuse and recycling of waste that we need,” Ms Doughty stated.

By Jane Kettle

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