Hampshire residents challenged to search homes for ‘missed opportunties’ ahead of national Recycle Week

Once used, many consumables end up being thrown away leading to costly disposal and avoidable impacts on the environment.

Councillor Nick Adams-King, HCC’s Executive Lead Member for Universal Services, said: “During this Recycle Week, we’re asking Hampshire’s residents to take a little time to look around at home and consider the best way to dispose of their unwanted things.

"They can do this either by repurposing, giving them to someone else to make use of, donating to charity, or, if they’re not suitable for reuse, look to recycle them responsibly.

“Understanding what can be recycled and finding out how, when and where to recycle these items, is a practical way to reduce our carbon footprint, help tackle climate change and conserve our planet’s scarce resources.

"It also helps us to manage taxpayer-funded services efficiently.”

Hampshire already only landfills less than 5% of all household waste, but there is always more that can be done to reduce waste in the first place.

Many items regularly thrown away can easily be recycled, including:

*Aluminium cans: recycling one can save enough energy to power a TV for three hours;

*Paper: the average British family throws away six trees worth of paper every year, which together equates to a forest 35 times the size of the New Forest;

*Plastic bottles: these can be recycled into new clothes; it takes just 25 to make a fleece jacket;

*Glass bottles: recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to power a computer for 25 minutes.

Cllr Adams-King added: “After reusing, donating or repurposing, recycling the items we no longer need is the next best thing to avoid disposal.

"Knowing which items can be recycled through kerbside collections, and where various items can be recycled locally at a Household Waste Recycling Centre or a community recycling bank, can have a hugely positive impact in helping to protect the environment.”

Batteries and single use and reusable e-cigarettes and vapes are now accepted at all Hampshire Waste Recycling Centres. Each site has designated bins where those iterms should be placed.

Batteries or battery products should never be placed in household waste as they create a serious fire risk. Many local shops and supermarkets also accept used batteries for safe disposal.

Local Recycling Centres are near Port Solent, Havant, Hayling, Gosport, Waterlooville and Segensworth.

National Recycle Week takes place between October 16-22.