National Recycle Week

Recycle Week runs from 21 to 27 September and the theme 'Together - We Recycle' is about thanking the nation for continuing to play its part during this difficult year.

Recycle Week 2020 aims to recognise the sacrifices that key workers and citizens have made to keep recycling going during the pandemic and create positive change in the world. While NHS, care and key workers have continued to support the nation on a daily basis, recycling and waste key workers have also carried on collecting while the world slowed down around them. Dudley saw an unprecedented appreciation of its bin crews, with letters, cards and posters from grateful residents of all ages.

People are recycling more than ever, with most councils seeing an increase in household recycling. In Dudley there has been an increase in all recycling, with tonnage collected up 15% since lockdown in March, with glass recycling up by 30%. Residents have also recycled over 4000 tonnes of paper and card so far in 2020, saving the equivalent of 70,000 trees.

Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for public realm, said:

We know how much our residents value our recycling service, and I’m thrilled to see that our recycling figures are up, showing that our residents are making the extra effort to recycle as much as they can.

The recognition our crews have received in the form of friendly waves, notes, cards and gifts left out for them is so heart-warming too.

Despite everything that’s happened, there’s still one small but powerful act every one of us can perform, every day, no matter who we are, where we’re from or what we do, to enact positive change on the world around us and I hope people will continue to embrace this ethos into the future.

Statistics released by Recycle Now show that through lockdown the UK has become even more environmentally aware, with nearly 9 in 10 households saying they ‘regularly recycle’. Coming out of lockdown, more people are prepared to change their lifestyles to help the environment: 73 per cent, up from 68 per cent in 2019. And an amazing 93 per cent of UK households say they believe that ‘everyone has a responsibility to help towards cleaning up the environment’.

Peter Maddox, Director, WRAP UK, said:

It’s fantastic to see that despite everything that has been thrown at them this year, more people than ever in Dudley borough are taking responsibility for protecting the environment by choosing to recycle. This is something we can all do, wherever we live – an individual action that, when performed by everyone, adds up to a huge change.

Recycle Week this year is an opportunity to thank everyone for continuing to recycle, whatever their circumstances and to celebrate the way we have all pulled together. There has been a positive leap forward in attitudes that we must capitalise on so Dudley borough can do even better in the coming year!

For more information about recycling in the borough, visit www.dudleyrecycles.org.uk

To order additional recycling boxes or bags call Dudley Council Plus on 0300 555 2345, email dudleycouncilplus@dudley.gov.uk or request them online via the residents section of the council website