Recycling schemes

The Household Waste Recycling Act 2003 requires all English waste collection authorities to collect at least two types of recyclable waste from all households in their area, which could include batteries, garden waste, glass, hazardous household liquids (i.e. paint and varnish), kitchen waste, metals, paper, plastics, textiles and shoes, electrical or electronic waste (e-waste) and wood.

Most local authorities now run a home collection scheme for recyclable materials. For example, you may have a blue box / red box recycling scheme, where glass is stored in the blue box, paper in the red box and is put out alongside the weekly refuse for collection. To find out more about your local scheme and exactly what you can recycle, visit the website of your local authority. Tagish provides a list of local government websites. It's usually quite easy to find the information - check sections on waste, refuse collection or even environment.

The aim is to reduce the amount of waste that makes it into the black bin bag at the end of the week. It is a well known fact that the house with the smallest black bin bag on collection day is the coolest, most respected and best loved household in the neighborhood! For starters, have a good read of the excellent Recycle now website.

Sort out your waste religiously. Remember that jars can be cleaned and recycled with bottles. That piece of cardboard around your microwave meal can be recycled with the newspapers. To help you, why not get a bin especially for sorting out waste for recycling. Visit homerecycling.co.uk to see their list of products.

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Update: To find out what you can put out for kerbside collection and to locate your nearest recycling facilities, check out the bank locator on the Recycle More site.