Recycling means processing waste materials to turn them into useable products. Reducing our consumption and reusing items are preferable to recycling, because recycling processes use energy and produce carbon. However, as most retailers still seem intent on wrapping products in as many layers of packaging as possible, recycling is often our best option. This month let’s focus on kerbside collections of household waste.

Gloucestershire has a target of 60% by 2020
Nationally, around 45% of household waste is recycled, and Gloucestershire County Council wants our county to hit 60% by 2020 – that target is already being achieved by other European countries, and we can all help make it happen here in Gloucestershire. Throwing recyclable products into the rubbish bin means they end up in landfill or being burned. Both of these options are expensive and less than ideal. Landfill takes up finite space, generates greenhouse gases, and wastes the energy and resources locked inside materials that will never biodegrade, but will sit in the ground for millions of years. Incineration can pollute the air and water supply with heavy metals and carcinogenic compounds.

In Gloucestershire, we can recycle a wide variety of packaging and household items in our kerbside sacks and boxes. Kerbside collection is the responsibility of the city, district and borough councils. It varies widely by area, and new items are added all the time, so check your local city, district or borough council website for a list – you might be surprised what you can recycle at the kerb.

Empty food containers, crush cans and flatten card
You can help speed up collection and ensure everything is recycled by emptying and rinsing food containers, crushing cans, flattening card and separating different types of materials. Councils will provide extra containers for free to help you recycle as much as possible.

Sometimes it can be tricky to work out if an item is recyclable or not, but most items will have one or more symbols to explain if and how it is recyclable or compostable, or to warn you it cannot be safely disposed of with household waste. Electricals are one example of products that should not be put in the bin when they break. This is because they can contain dangerous chemicals that, if put into landfill, could eventually end up in our dinner.

They also contain small amounts of very rare metals, which need to be retrieved. Look for the crossed-out wheelie bin symbol and recycle these items at household recycling centres, unless you’re in the Forest of Dean, where you can bag up small electricals and leave them on top of your black refuse bin for recycling. Visit recyclenow.com for an explanation of all the different symbols.

Many items will be recyclable at your local household recycling centre
Most of us will find we end up with recyclable products which aren’t accepted into the kerbside collection, and many of these items will be recyclable at your local household recycling centre – check recycleforgloucestershire.com for locations, opening times and what you can recycle there. Let’s all try to start recycling everything we can, and get to 60% well before 2020.