Recycle Week 2021: 20-26 September

Recycle Week 2021 is taking place this week (20-26 September) and gives businesses, organisations and individuals the chance to highlight the importance of consistent recycling in a bid to increase recycling rates in the UK.

Recycle Week is organised by WRAP under the Recycle Now brand. Now in its 18th year, this year’s theme is ‘Step It Up’ this recycling week and join the fight against climate change. The climate crisis is something we can actively do something about and most of us already do. Some others need to do more so now is the time to commit to new recycling habits.

According to wrap.org.uk:

“It takes less energy and fewer emissions to recycle than to make things from scratch, which is why recycling saves a total of 18 million tonnes of CO2 a year in the UK.”

Whilst almost 90% of people recycle in some form, 55% of households still put items in the general rubbish that could be recycled. This could be down to convenience or simply being unsure of which materials and items are recyclable. 

Most of us know that paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and metal cans can be recycled – but did you know that aerosols and aluminium foil and food trays can also be put in your recycling bin? In most areas weekly or fortnightly collections won’t take textiles or glass, but there are plenty of bring banks within the community that you can deposit these items at, so be sure to do so.

Those most commonly put in the recycling bin that cannot be recycled are plastic bags, toothpaste tubes and drink cartons. For details of what you can and can’t put in your recycling bin at home and other recycling information, please visit recyclenow.com.

Many big brands have donated to this year’s Recycle Week cause to enable it to take place. These include Amazon, British Soft Drinks Association, Britvic, Coca-Cola, Co-Op, Danone, DEFRA, Innocent, Listerine, McDonald’s, Natural Source Waters Association, Ocado, Pepsico, Prevented Ocean Plastic and Waitrose & Partners. 

WRAP’s mission is to accelerate the move to a sustainable, resource-efficient economy by re-inventing how we design, produce and sell products, re-thinking how we use and consume products, and re-defining what is possible through reuse and recycling. WRAP works with governments, businesses and communities to deliver practical solutions to improve resource efficiency and they are world leaders in helping organisations achieve greater resource efficiency.

TJ processes all materials in line with WRAP protocol. TJ has four materials recycling facilities dotted along the south coast, where all waste is taken to for sorting and onward recycling. These centres are staffed by experienced operators and drivers to ensure a first-class service. They also have three inert recycling facilities in Yapton, Bordon and Ringwood. Inert wastes (concrete, brick rubble, ceramics) are mechanically separated and turned into construction materials, such as 6F5 Crushed Concrete.

TJ recycles up to 100% of the waste that comes through their doors, demonstrating their commitment to diverting waste from landfill. TJ’s extensive knowledge of a range of recycling centres in and outside of Hampshire helps make all this recycling possible.

TJ are keen to promote the practice of recycling and are regularly partnering with companies that are looking to improve their recycling rates or who have means of providing innovative new ways to recycle. TJ’s recycling efforts have led to an excess of 250,000 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill through recycling routes.

Limited plastic recycling continues to be one of the biggest concerns in the recycling industry. TJ is always investigating new possibilities in this area and has plans to get a plastic recycling trial underway soon. In the past couple of years they have formed partnerships with like-minded organisations to help facilitate plastic recycling.

The Final Straw Foundation is a charity whose work revolves around highlighting the impact of plastic pollution on our environment, local seas and wider oceans. TJ recently formed an official partnership with them and has provided regular support to them over the past few years. They’ve provided free waste removal for several beach cleans as well as emptying their huge plastic bottle bank – a metal fish called Nellie – when no one else would help.

Jude’s Ice Cream are one of TJ’s clients and when TJ established a new recycling process for certain types of plastics, they soon realised that Jude’s unwanted plastic ice cream tubs and offcuts would be ideal for it. The plastic ice cream tubs are made into a new product – pellets – which can be moulded into new plastic products. The latest equipment for recycling plastic materials is used in this recycling process to ensure that the highest quality products are maintained.

Find out more about Recycle Week 2021 or get in touch to find out how we can help your business improve their recycling rates.