Recycling

Don't Waste Your Waste

Recycling service requests (This link will open in a new window) can be submitted online.

Waste is a big environmental issue. It is a problem that we all help to create, both locally and globally, but fortunately it is also a problem that we can help to reduce.

Common sense tells us that recycling what we no longer need is better for the environment than simply burying it in a hole in the ground. The experts agree. It has been proved that to recycle an aluminium can uses 95% less energy than making a new one from raw materials.

Recycling conserves valuable resources and helps reduce pollution.

We all produce waste every day at home and at work. As a nation we throw away over 240 million tonnes of controlled waste. This includes household and industrial waste. Every 9 months we produce enough waste to fill up Lake Windermere. On average every household produces 1 tonne of waste every year.

Much research time is invested in 'waste issues' and how to find solutions to our problems. Three steps have been identified to guide us. These are:

REDUCE
Cut back on the waste we produce. This is the best solution. Do we really need as much packaging on the goods we buy? Think more carefully about the things we buy. Avoid goods with layers of unnecessary packaging wherever possible.

RE-USE
If we have materials that can be used again, why not use them? Many items can be put to other useful purposes instead of being thrown away. Plastic bags, oil, engines can all be reworked and re-used in some way. This means we would need to buy less and use less.

RECYCLE
If we have no further need for magazines, bottles, cans, textiles and books, recycling is our best option. This means that we need fewer raw materials (minerals, fuels) to make new products. In fact where waste was previously looked on as a nuisance, it is now widely seen as the next new resource which people will pay for! An historic turnaround and good news for our environment.

Why do we need to care about what we waste?

Throwing away what we don't need creates extra strain on our environment. We all produce household waste and most of this is buried in the ground. We only have a limited amount of land that can be used to bury our waste. What happens when this is used up? We need to plan in advance. Recycling is one of the ways we can help. About 50-80% of household waste can be recycled. Staggering isn't it? However, in 2005/06 we recycled over 49% of our domestic waste. Recycling also reduces our wastage in raw materials (i.e. materials, fuels) and helps reduce the amount of energy needed to produce new goods. This is an important issue if we care for our future.

Think about how much of your waste can be recycled

It is thought that up to 90% of your waste can be recycled - now that's a challenge! Recycling banks are emptied on a regular basis. It is up to you how you organise your trips to the recycling banks. Taking your waste to the recycling sites does not have to be a special trip. If you are going shopping, then take it with you. The idea of recycling is not to cause further environmental damage through taking more car journeys, but to fit recycling into your everyday working activities.

What can we recycle?

The answer is almost everything, and there are a number of ways you can help recycle.

The Kerbside Collection (Green Box) Scheme. Newspapers and magazines, glass bottles and jars and aluminium and steel cans can be collected from your home.

Find your nearest recycling point. There are sites for paper, glass, cans, textiles, books and more.

Static Paper Banks: You can use the static paper banks at the local recycling centres around the district to recycle newspapers, magazines, junk mail, Yellow Pages, Alpha Directories and catalogues. Please DO NOT put in envelopes, cardboard, folding box board (from food/goods packaging), plastic carrier bags, plastic film or solid plastic, metal of any kind, wood or glass.

Envelopes: All white and brown envelopes should be put into the green box. Plastic address windows in envelopes do not need to be removed.

Find your nearest Household Waste and Recycling Centre. These also accept garden waste, hardcore rubble, scrap metal, waste oil, car batteries and cardboard.

Consider home composting. Studies on recycling have shown that almost a third of what we throw into our bins are made up of 'putrescibles' (kitchen and garden waste). By designing or buying a composter you can substantially contribute to reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.

OTHER ITEMS

Plastic

You can now recycle plastics in South Cambridgeshire. For further information on plastics recycling, please refer to www.recap.co.uk (This link will open in a new window).

Fridges and Freezers

South Cambridgeshire District Council also collects unwanted fridges and freezers and carefully disposes of the CFCs and HCFCs they contain. To arrange for the collection of a fridge or freezer, visit our Bulky items collection service page.

Recycling your Aerosols

Oil and Chemicals

For information on oil and chemicals and how to dispose of them contact the Recycling Officer (see below). Oil will form a film on the surface of rivers and lakes, reducing the oxygen levels in the water and so making it difficult for fish to breathe. So, when you drain your engine, take the oil to an oil bank to be recycled.

Further information

Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy - Recycling Plans

South Cambridgeshire is a member of the Joint Waste Strategy Partnership (including Cambridgeshire County, Districts and Peterborough City Council).

Please visit www.recap.co.uk to see your local council's recycling plan. These plans represent an interim report on the current collection arrangements throughout Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and will change in time as services are rolled out, expanded and developed.