Oxford is my world Your – Guide to saving the planet!

Recycling

Water Use

Climate Science Explanation

RECYCLING

At present the UK is the third most wasteful country in the EU, with each of us generating about 0.5 tonnes of waste each year. Plus when we throw things away that could either be recycled or re-used we are wasting the energy needed to manufacture their replacements.

In January 2011 Oxford City reached 50.5% in its household recycling rate as a reult of the food waste and co-mingled blue bin collections. This means as much as 81% went in to a landfill, releasing Green House Gases. The city has come a long way since 2005/2006 when the city's homes recycled only 19% of their waste. We may be in the top 40 regions when the national figures are published.

Hopefully you can get involved with some of the following actions to help propel the rate even higher.

Very Easy

- Reduce the amount of rubbish going into your non-recycling bins by thinking carefully about the amount of extra packaging and carrier bags you bring home from the shops.
- Take surplus clothes, shoes and books to charity shops or put them in special recycling bins found in supermarket and other car parks.
- Emmaus Oxford will collect unwanted furniture and donate it to low-income households via their second hand store.
- Register for the Mailing Preference Service to reduce the amount of junk mail that you receive. They can remove your name from up to 95% of Direct Mailing lists.
- You can get a number of recycling containers to suit your property from Oxford City Council, including blue bins or recycling boxes for mixed dry recycling (paper, card, glass, most plastics, Tetra Paks, metal cans and foil), food waste caddies (for composting of kitchen waste), and garden waste sacks.
- If you buy a drink when you're out in Oxford, look out for the special can and plastic bottle recycling litter bins.
- Sign up to Scoodi for free stuff in Oxford. You can give away practically anything, find second hand things and even sell stuff you don’t need, all within your local community.

Fairly Easy

- Sign up to the Oxford Freecycle network. You can give away all sorts of unwanted items and be notified about stuff people are giving away in the local area. Freecycle is a national movement.
- Reduce the potentially smelly biodegradable waste going into your rubbish bin. You can build one yourself or buy a Home Composter. Oxfordshire Waste Partnership sells them for about £20. Site it in your garden and start producing something that might cost ten pounds at a garden centre for free!
- Make money from your old computer (and prevent it going into landfill): advertise it on Daily Info's Computers For Sale/Wanted page or put it on Oxford Scoodi.
- Computers for Charity collect old computers from individuals and businesses for refurbishment and sell them at low prices to community groups. Oxfam also accept mobile phones.
- Sell your unwanted household items, including bikes, kitchen items and DVDs, for free in Oxford circular Daily Information. It has a readership of over 10,000 daily and doesn't charge for a basic advert.
- Ensure your old paints, garden tools and scrap materials get another use by giving them to the Orinoco Scrapstore. Orinoco will find them a new home or give them away to community art projects.
- Order your free ‘Waste Reduction Pack’ and re-useable cotton bag, from Oxfordshire County Council. It contains advice on how to reduce your junk mail and other waste.
- Try to re-use your plastic bottles, as they are fairly energy intensive to recycle. They make good bird feeders or you can use them in your garden to plant seedlings or protect young plants.
- Oxford Freegive Group connects people who are giving and getting unwanted items for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse, recycle and keeping good stuff out of landfills. It's completely free to join. Visit Oxford Freegive Group
- Buy fresh food from a local market where they use less plastic and more biodegradable packaging such as paper bags, which can go in your compost.
- Give your old mobile phones and printer cartridges to charities such as Oxfam. The Midcounties Co-operative supermarkets and pharmacies give away freepost recycling envelopes.
- Take excess recycling to Oxford City Council bring bank sites if your out and about. If not please take it home. Bring Bank Locations are available on an official google map.
- Visit Redbridge Waste Recycling Centre to recycle TVs, computers, batteries, other plastics, hand tools and paint. Or consult Recycle More to find details of other local Recycling Centres.
- Using washable nappies reduces the amount of disposables going to landfill. Find out more about using washable nappies by contacting the Real Nappy Campaign or Oxfordshire County Council's Waste Management work on nappies. .
- If you hate waste, why not join a Community Action Group (CAG) and get a taste of environmental action in your neighbourhood. There are now over 30 CAGs in Oxfordshire.
- The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) trains and enables businesses, schools and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and recycle more things more often.
- If your household would like to stop receiving un-addressed mail (door drops) you can ‘opt-out’ by contacting Royal Mail and requesting an opt-out form to be sent to your home address.

Not Quite So Easy

- If you have registered for the Mailing Preference Service but are still receiving marketing mail, you can complain to the Direct Marketing Association.
- Car and non-rechargeable household batteries can be recycled at Redbridge Waste Recycling Centre.
- Set up recycling points at your work or community or school with the help of Oxfordshire County Council's waste management team.
- Become a Local Environment Champion with Oxford City Council to help your community make the best use of their kerbside collections.
- If you're wondering whether something can be recycled or not visit Recycle Now. They list awkward or unusual items and how you can recycle or reuse them. To
- Recycle low energy and other light bulbs by taking them to Redbridge Waste Recycling Centre.

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