Recycle
Nearly two-thirds of all household rubbish can be recycled, saving energy and raw materials and avoiding waste going to landfill. Did you know that recycling just one aluminium can saves enough energy to run a TV set for three hours?
Make it easier to remember to recycle by:
- Putting your recycling bin next to your main bin
- Making a note on your calendar or fridge of when your recycling is collected, and what can and can't be recycled.
Why do recycling services vary across Northern Ireland?
The recycling services you receive can vary from council to council. This is because:
- There are different challenges to cope with when dealing with collecting materials in rural or urban areas
- The availability of landfill varies from place to place
- Some councils have better access to sorting equipment or can more easily find buyers for materials they've collected
Check with your local council for more information on recycling services in your area.
Is recycling worth it?
Seven out of 10 people say they recycle in the UK. It's important to recycle, whatever the economic climate; it saves energy and reduces the amount of raw materials being used.
The global economic downturn may have lead to a drop in demand for recycled materials, but 95% of material put out for recycling in the UK is still being recycled. Recycling is almost always a better option than burning or sending waste to landfill.
Follow On-pack recycling labels
New on-pack recycling labels are being introduced by leading retailers including Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Waitrose, Co-op, Asda and Sainsburys to help you see what packaging can be recycled by looking at the symbols.
For further information visit the on-pack recycling label website.
Buy recycled
Remember that by purchasing products packaged using recycled materials, you are helping to create a market for recycled materials. This helps ensure that collection and recycling facilities are developed and maintained.
Why not also look for products made using recycled materials? A variety of quality recycled products are now widely available in high street stores and supermarkets. Buying recycled products helps to develop and sustain the recycling industry by creating demand for goods that are similar in quality to those made from virgin resources.
Buy products with recyclable packaging
Make sure you buy items with packaging that can be recycled. There are many products that can easily be recycled - more useful information on these can be found at Recycle Now.
This site is a great resource where you can also find details of recycling facilities specific to your area. Often recycling sites will have collection points for the more unusual things like batteries, tetrapak beverage containers, jewellery, fluorescent lamps, keys, video tapes.
Paper
Paper and packaging make up huge proportions of most municipal and commercial waste streams and is the second largest component of recycled household waste. Large amounts of this paper are still sent to landfill. Wasting this resource means that recycling paper has to be imported or virgin product produced. Many councils now collect waste paper from homes but if you do not have this facility for recycling at home please take your paper to your nearest paper bank which you can find by accessing our recycle bank locator.
Glass
Annually, total glass use in the UK is estimated at around 3.6 million tonnes. Local companies like Glassdon Recycling will recycle all glass products collected by Bryson House from homes and businesses. This can amount to over 7,000 tonnes per year - enough to fill a football pitch to 5 metres high! Find out about bottle banks in your area by accessing our recycle bank locator.
Mobile Phones
Mobile phones contain a number of toxic substances so sending them to landfill is not a safe option. It is estimated, however, that there are 90 million redundant mobile phones in the UK many of which could be successfully recycled. In fact you could make up to £180 from your old mobile by visiting the UK Energy Saving website.
Batteries, Metals, Liquids & Chemicals and Electrical Goods can all be recycled and you can find your nearest recycling centre by accessing our Rethink Waste recycle bank locator.
