Mid Ulster joins The BIG Recycling Hunt this Recycle Week
Now in its twentieth year, Recycle Week is the nation’s biggest annual celebration of recycling.
This Recycle Week, from 16 – 22 October 2023, Recycle Now and Mid Ulster District Council are launching a fun mission for primary school children with the arrival of: The Big Recycling Hunt.
Recycle Week is calling on children aged 5 to 11 in Mid Ulster to take the lead in protecting our planet. With a week of fun activities, the campaign wants to empower the youth to become active participants in building a sustainable future.
"The Big Recycling Hunt", the central theme of this year's campaign, promises to shine a bright spotlight on "missed capture." This nationwide hunt aims to engage children and families in the quest to find 'lost recyclables' that too often find their way into the rubbish bin. By focusing on commonly missed items such as empty aerosols, plastic cleaning product bottles, plastic toiletry bottles, plastic pots and tubs, and food tins, Recycle Now wants to foster a deeper understanding of recycling in the younger generation.
Chair of the Environment Committee, Councillor Clement Cuthbertson, said:
Mid Ulster has achieved consistently high recycling rates year after year which proves how committed our residents are to recycling. However, there is still more we can do. When we’re using our blue bins to recycle we should make sure we’re including all of the correct items. Unfortunately we still see a percentage of recyclable items ending up in our black bins such as empty aerosols, plastic cleaning product bottles, plastic toiletry bottles, plastic pots and tubs, and food tins; all of which can go into our blue recycling bins.
I would encourage our residents, especially our young people, across Mid Ulster to join the Big Recycling Hunt and get those items out of the black bin and into the blue. If we continue to make a real effort towards recycling and increase our actions we can increase our recycling rate further, which in turn helps to protect our environment and tackle the wider issues we face.
Harriet Lamb, CEO of WRAP, said: “The importance of this initiative extends beyond Recycle Week. By empowering children with the knowledge and tools to become recycling advocates, we are not only nurturing the future but also ensuring a healthier and more sustainable world for all. Join us in celebrating Recycle Week and empowering the next generation of environmental champions!”
Craig Stephens, Campaign Manager for Recycle Now, said: “By recycling even better we can have a big impact on our environment. In Mid Ulster it’s no different – more and more people are recycling, so the next step is to make sure we hunt down these missed items and get our recycling right. So come on, Mid Ulster, keep up the great work and let’s make the district’s recycling better than ever before!
Recycling doesn’t have to be confusing. To find out what can be recycled in your area, visit our recycling webpage or email.
To find out more about Recycle Week and The Big Recycling Hunt visit The Action Pack.