'Are You Doing It Right?' in National Recycle Week

21/6/2010

Residents of Bracknell, Reading and Wokingham are being asked 'are you doing it right?' as part of a new campaign aimed at reminding people what they can and can't put in recycling bins and boxes.

re3 is using National Recycle Week (21-27 June) to officially launch its new campaign at special events held across the three Berkshire boroughs which make up the waste reduction partnership.

Paper and Card, Aerosols, Food Tins and Drinks Cans and Plastic Bottles are what residents can put in their household recycling containers. All other items are known in the trade as 'contamination.' Common items of contamination include yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, meat trays, textiles, video tapes, food and glass.

All contamination needs to be hand removed and is sent to landfill. The painstaking process of removing incorrect materials from kerbside recycling is both time and energy intensive. Large items of contamination can also damage the sorting machine, which can lead to expensive repairs and downtime.

Residents are also being reminded to please make sure that the recyclable items listed above are put in recycling bins loose, and not in plastic bags. Plastic bags can get caught up in the sorting machine and often the materials within them are discarded as they cannot be sorted out — meaning people's recycling efforts are wasted.

To find out more about recycling in Bracknell Forest, Reading and Wokingham people can isit re3 at one of the launch events across the area during National Recycle Week.

Woodley Pagoda — 22^nd June, 12 noon to 4pm
Wokingham Town Centre — 23^rd June, 11am to 3pm
Bracknell Town Centre — 24^th June 11am to 3pm
Reading Town Centre, Broad Street — 25^th June, 11am to 4pm