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Leicester gets recycling right

clip_image001Nearly a quarter of all rubbish thrown out from Leicester homes is now being recycled, following a recent initiative by the Leicester county council. The city council has confirmed that 23% of Leicester’s household waste is now being recycled instead of going to landfill sites.

This recent increase of 5% could well be down to the council’s revolutionary initiative of orange bag kerb side collection introduced three years ago, replacing the green recycling boxes. Last year, more than 16,000 tonnes of rubbish was collected in the orange bags. However it has been estimated that 2,100 tonnes of glass as well as 2,800 tonnes of recyclable cardboard are still being disposed of in general waste bins.

The introduction of the orange bag kerb side collection was designed to encourage people to recycle more. Following surveys that were carried out in the neighbourhood, people didn’t realise that cardboard could be included in the orange bag collection so Leicester council are constantly educating people on the importance of recycling.

Assistant city mayor for neighbourhood services, Councillor Sarah Russell, said: “The scheme is helping to revolutionise recycling in the city. The secret to its success is its simplicity. It’s so much more convenient being able to put all recyclable items in one bag.”

Leicester council stated that three quarters of the city’s waste is now being diverted from landfill and that much of what cannot be recycled is going on to be incinerated to create renewable energy, or being composted.

The orange bags are used to recycle glass bottles, mixed plastics including food containers, Tetra Pak, plastic film and carrier bags, all of which are not usually allowed in your average recycling bin. Tins, cans, empty aerosols, paper and cardboard can also be included in the orange bag collection.

For more information: www.leicester.gov.uk/orangebags

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The importance of recycling

imageOur environment needs as much as help as possible these days. Global warming is increasing which is having a knock on effect on our polar ice caps, one of the main regulators in our global climate. Carbon dioxide is one of the major greenhouse gases that is building up in our atmosphere, which is causing deforestation all over the world. What’s more is that the level of waste we have is at an all-time high and we have to now do our bit for the environment.

What is recycling?

Recycling is a process that contributes towards the preservation of the environment and its future; it’s all about collecting materials that are considered as waste and reprocessing it. Here are some ways that recycling helps our environment:

Recycling saves energy

Manufacturing new products from scratch uses a huge amount of energy, way more energy than recycling materials. We can also cut back and preserve the resources that provide these new products by recycling. Take ink cartridges, instead of just creating ink cartridges each time, there are now companies out there that recycle the cartridges to use again.

Recycling reduces pollution

Reducing pollution goes a long way to preserving the environment; minimising energy used in manufacturing reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Gasoline, coal and diesel emit harmful greenhouse gases, so any reduction in the consumption of these result in the reduction of greenhouse gases.

Recycling preserves natural resources

Instead of cutting down trees to produce paper, recycling used paper will help preserve natural and limited resources.

Recycling saves space for waste disposal

Landfill sites are becoming full, but a major proportion of what’s in landfill can be recycled. Hazardous waste that is emptied into landfill can leak corrosive or toxic chemicals into the environment. Reducing waste that needs to be discarded in landfills benefits the environment.

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