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Online guide to Recycling

There has never been a better or easier time to recycle. We throw away a massive 26 million tonnes of rubbish in the UK every year. However, a lot of it isn't really rubbish at all. A lot of it can be reused or recycled to make something new. Try following the four R's:

  • Reduce the amount you throw away
  • Reuse things you would otherwise throw away
  • Repair things instead of throwing them away
  • Recycle more of your waste

And it's not just a case of 'doing your bit' for the environment and securing a healthier planet for your children's children, by recycling cans and clothing you can raise money for your children's school projects or provide clothing for developing countries.

Closer to home, you can save money in the garden by using home made compost, or simply by repairing broken furniture and electrical goods you could save the cost of replacements. To get your recycling juices flowing, why not check out our amazing facts about recycling?


 

Recycle at home

Over 60% of our household waste can be recycled or put to good use. There has never been a better or easier time to recycle. And with our helpful tips and useful advice you can see why.

  • What can go in your clear sack?
  • Newspapers, magazines, junk mail, catalogues, brochures, uncoated cardboard and paper (not tissue paper)
  • Plastics bottles with numbers 1and 2 symbols, these include all plastic drinks and milk bottles.
  • Food and drink cans (cleaned and squashed flat)
  • Aluminium foil.
  • Empty household aerosol spray cans, with the nozzles removed.

All residents of Canterbury district can use the alternate weekly kerbside collection service (clear sacks) for recycling. We deliver these to your door three times a year If you need more call us on 01227 862 211.

Pest and odour control

Cleaning your bin regularly, storing it out of direct sunlight and keeping the lid closed at all times will help keep odours to a minimum and avoid unwanted pests.

But there is more you can do:

  • Double bag all food waste, particularly meat and animal waste.
  • Squeeze air out of bags that contain food waste.
  • Bag all pet litter before putting it in the bin.
  • Remove solid waste from nappies before putting them in the bin double wrapped.

Unwanted clothing and textiles

Be ruthless. If you haven't worn or used it in the past six months, chances are you're not going to. Recycle your unwanted clothes, shoes, soft toys, linen and towels at your local clothing bank or a charity shop of your choice. Remember to tie laced shoes together to keep them in pairs. Bag other shoes to keep them together.

People in developing countries, and those nearer home, reuse all types of clothes. For more details, contact the Salvation Army Trading Company and other similar charities.

Real nappies (cloth)

Real nappies have come on in leaps and bounds since the traditional 'fold and pin' 'Terry nappies'. There are a wide variety of real nappies available today, ranging from shaped nappies that fasten with Velcro or poppers to all-in-ones with a built in waterproof outer. They are easy to use and easy to clean, and can even be tumbledried! One size fits all and helps you make considerable savings in the first two years of your baby's life.

To get a free real nappy trial pack contact recycling@canterbury.gov.uk or call 01227 862138. The number of free packs available are limited, hurry while stocks last. Offer is open to Canterbury district residents only.

You may also like to visit netmums.com . This is a dedicated website for local mums which:

  • lets you meet other mums
  • helps you find parent and toddler groups
  • tells you whats on in your area
  • helps you find childcare

With some eight million nappies thrown away every day in the UK, real nappies are promoted to cut waste and as a cost-saving option for families who could save around £500 by washing nappies at home. For the ultimate convenience nappy laundry services can do the job for you.

For details of local cloth nappy contacts, nappy laundry services and where to buy real nappies you can phone:

  • Real Nappy Help Line - 0845 850 0606 or visit the Nappy Finder

www.realnappycampaign.com/nappyfinder

Also come along to KCNN (Kent Cloth Nappy Network) coffee mornings.  Meetings take place on the first Monday of the month (except bank holidays), 10.30am - 12pm, Riverside Childrens Centre, Kingsmead Road, Canterbury.

Where are our household recycling centres?

We have two recycling sites in the district. They can be found at Vauxhall Road, Canterbury and West Brook Lane, Herne Bay. The area has a further 44 recycling facilities throughout the district.

What happens to our household recycling?

Paper can be recycled up to seven times, and can become a variety of things, such as part of a road or racetrack, tommorrow's newspaper or cereal box. Plastics can be recycled into carrier bags, garden furniture, pipes, building products and even clothes. It takes only 25 recycled plastic bottles to make one fleece jacket.

Glass is sorted and crushed and turned into 'cullet'. It is then mixed with raw material and melted to make new glass bottles and jars, and in some cases, loft insulation and filler sand. Glass is also used to make road aggregates.

Steel and aluminium cans are separated using a giant magnet. They are then crushed, baled and sent for reprocessing. Aluminium cans are melted down and turned into more cans, foil and food containers. Steel cans are melted and turned into more cans, paper clips and even bikes and cars.

Good quality textiles and shoes are sent to UK charities and developing countries. Poor quality materials are stripped down to fibre and become a raw material for upholstery, mattress fillings and furniture padding, and vehicle sound insulation. Worn and damaged items are turned into industrial wiping and cleaning cloths.Back to top

Recycle at leisure

Whether it's enjoying a barbecue at home, playing sport or going on a family camping holiday, this section will show how your recycling habits are just as useful when at play.

Barbecue fun

When preparing for a barbecue, buy bulk packs where possible and freeze any leftovers. This will reduce packaging waste and save money. Dispose of unused vegetables and salad food in your compost bin. Don't forget to take your empty bottles and cans to the recycling banks too!

Sporting life

Repair your broken sports equipment when possible, or hire it, rather than buying it new. Give any old sports clothes and equipment to charity shops.

Carry on camping

Many camping and caravan sites have recycling bins, which are usually located by the showers and toilets or with other bins. And it's easy; you recycle your waste by separating the items just as you would at home.

What's left?

Any waste left that can't be recycled, reused, reduced or repaired should be put in your grey-lidded wheelie bin or purple sack. Although this waste just adds tothe landfill, which will be full by 2017, so please recycle generously.Back to top


 

Recycle at school

Encouraging children to recycle will teach them environmentally friendly habits for life. When they're older they won't think twice about recycling waste, it will be second nature to them.

Schools can raise money by collecting old mobiles and printer cartridges. There are companies that reward you for recycling these, and the monies raised could go towards buying new sports equipment, for example. We are happy to visit your child's school to run a recycling workshop.

In the classroom, separate bins could be used for paper and cardboard, plastics, cans and glass. Teachers could try to buy paper, stationery and other products made from recycled or recyclable material where possible, and buy items that will last rather than disposable ones. We are happy to visit your child's school to run a recycling workshop.

For more details, ask your child's teacher to contact the recycling team on 01227 862 247 or email recycling@canterbury.gov.uk.Back to top


 

Recycle at the shops

Contrary to popular belief, buying recycled products is not always more expensive (or of poorer quality) than regular products. Now many recycled items cost the same or are cheaper.

It can take as little as six weeks to turn the things you recycle into a new product. Help make recycling work and support the recycling market by making sure you buy recycled products where possible.

Make recycling your rubbish part of your weekly supermarket trip - many supermarkets have recycling facilities on site. Reduce the amount of disposable products you buy, for example razors, batteries and pens. And look for longer-lasting, harder wearing products that are:

  • Refillable (such as plastic fabric softener bottles).
  • Rechargeable (such as batteries, toothbrushes and electric razors).

Go for products with a minimum of packaging. Buy loose fruit and vegetables, they're often cheaper than pre-packed ones, and you get to choose them. Buy bulk where you can. Go for goods with a high recycled content or packaged in recycled materials.

What happens to your shopping recycling?

At the moment, only 1% of the billions of plastic bags used each year are recycled. Many supermarkets offer a plastic carrier bag recycling service, which can then become garden furniture. Recycle your glass bottles and jars at supermarket recycling banks, and they could become decorative paving.Back to top


 

Recycle at work

Take your good recycling habits to work with you, and you could help to save up to 1% of your company's turnover. Here we show you how recycling at work can work for you. Daily routines that can help you reduce waste include:

  • Using both sides of the paper when printing and photocopying.
  • Using scrap paper when taking phone messages.
  • Send e-mails where possible.
  • Saving documents to your computer instead of printing them.
  • Buying paper, stationery and other products made from recycled or recyclable material.
  • Buying items that will last rather than disposable ones.

What happens to those things you recycle at work?

Recycled plastic drinks cups, from water coolers and vending machines, can be turned into pencils. Specialist companies will recycle old IT equipment, telecommunication equipment and furniture. These are then reconditioned or repaired, and given to people or businesses in deprived areas.Back to top


 

Recycle in the garden

We run an alternate weekly kerbside collection service to recycle your garden waste, emptying your green-lidded wheelie bin or reusable garden sack, depending on the storage space you have. If you need to purchase a wheelie bin or garden sack, call Serco free on 0800 031 9091.

What can go in your wheelie bin or garden sack?

  • Grass cuttings and hedgeprunings.
  • Leaves and tree bark.
  • Weeds, flowers and plants.

Home composting

Composting your kitchen and garden waste will improve the quality of your soil and help create a more beautiful garden. To get the best out of your compost bin follow the five easy steps:

Step One - Placing Your Bin

It's best to site your bin on a level, well-drained spot. This allows excess water to drain out and makes it easier for helpful creatures such as worms to get in and get working on breaking down the contents. Placing your bin in a partially sunny spot can help speed up the composting process.

Step Two - Put these in

Like any recipe, your compost relies on the right ingredients to make it work. Good things you can compost include vegetable peelings, fruit waste, teabags, plant prunings and grass cuttings. These are considered Greens. Greens are quick to rot and they provide important nitrogen and moisture. Other things you can compost include cardboard egg boxes, scrunched up paper and fallen leaves. These are considered Browns and are slower to rot. They provide fibre and carbon and also allow important air pockets to form in the mixture. Crushed eggshells can be included to add useful minerals.


Step Three - Keep these out

Certain things should never be placed in your bin. No cooked vegetables, no meat, no dairy products, no diseased plants, and definitely no dog poo or cat litter, or baby's nappies. Putting these in your bin can encourage unwanted pests and can also create odour. Also avoid composting perennial weeds (such as dandelions and thistle) or weeds with seed heads. Remember that plastics, glass and metals are not suitable for composting and should be recycled separately.

Step Four - Making Good Compost

The key to good compost lies in getting the mix right. You need to keep your Greens and Browns properly balanced. If your compost is too wet, add more Browns. If it's too dry, add some Greens. Making sure there is enough air in the mixture is also important. Adding scrunched up bits of cardboard is a simple way to create air pockets that will help keep your compost healthy. Air can also be added by mixing the contents. After approximately 6-9 months your finished compost will be ready.


Step Five - Using Your Compost

Finished compost is a dark brown, almost black soil-like layer that you'll find at the bottom of your bin. It has a spongy texture and is rich in nutrients. Some bins have a small hatch at the bottom that you can remove to get at the finished product, but sometimes it's even easier to lift the bin or to tip it over to get at your compost. Spreading the finished compost into your flowerbeds greatly improves soil quality by helping it retain moisture and suppressing weeds. Composting is the easiest way to make your garden grow more beautiful.

COMPOST BINS

The council in partnership with 'evergreener' is offering a range of discounted compost bins, contact www.canterbury.getcomposting.com or ring 0844 571 4444.

Take advantage of our buy one - get one half price offer

If you want to have an idea of types of compost bin available and prices then contact Ian MacKenzie on 01227 862247

WORMERIES

If you are intested in discount Wormeries and would like more information you can visit  www.westcountryworms.co.uk or contact them on  01803 712738.

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Further information

Your council services:

  • Recycling collections 0800 031 9091
  • Recycling information 01227 862 247
  • Recycling banks 0800 031 9091
  • Recycling sacks 0800 031 9091
  • Refuse collection (domestic) 0800 031 9091
  • Refuse collection (trade) 0800 031 9091
  • Street collections 01227 862 010

 

 

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