Did you know, if every household in Worcestershire recycled just one extra plastic drinks bottle, it would save enough energy to power an average primary school for almost seven weeks.
Recycling is easy to do and really can make a difference. Recycling an item rather than throwing it in the general rubbish bin, means that it will be dealt with in a much more environmentally-friendly way by making it in to something new.
Recycling has a number of benefits, including:
- Conserving resources - Materials are converted into new products, reducing the need to consume natural resources
- Saving energy - Using recycled materials in the manufacturing process uses considerably less energy than that required for producing new products from raw materials
- Helping to protect the environment - Recycling reduces the need for extracting, refining and processing raw materials all of which create air and water pollution.
Throughout August, Worcestershire County Council is raising awareness of the importance of recycling through the Recycle for Acorns campaign.
During the month, every can, aerosol, plastic bottle, pot, tub and tray (not black) that you put into your green bin will help to raise money for Acorns Children’s Hospice.
Could helping to raise money for Acorns be the kick start you need to recycle more?
Councillor Tony Miller, Worcestershire County Council's Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Environment, said: "Getting people to recycle more is extremely important for a number of reasons. It helps to save energy, conserve natural resources and protect the environment.
“By running the Recycle for Acorns campaign, we’re all doing our bit to raise money for a great cause. If the campaign also encourages people to start recycling or to recycle more then that’s a fantastic achievement.”
Remember to ‘check before you chuck’ – very often things will have a handy label that tells you whether it can be recycled or not.
To ensure that the recycling is good quality and will be recycled to raise these valuable funds, please make sure that your recycling is clean (just a quick rinse will do) and loose (not in plastic bags).
Once collected, all the plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays in Worcestershire are reprocessed by companies in the UK.
For more information about recycling in Worcestershire, visit www.letswasteless.com