Recycle for Greater Manchester joins The Big Recycling Hunt for Recycle Week

• Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) supporting this year’s Recycle Week
• Now in its twentieth year, Recycle Week runs from 16 – 22 October and is the nation’s biggest annual celebration of recycling
• For more information about what you can recycle where you live, visit recycleforgreatermanchester.com

This Recycle Week, Recycle Now and Recycle For Greater Manchester (R4GM) are challenging Greater Manchester residents to take part in The Big Recycling Hunt.

"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 people in the quest to find “lost recyclables” that too often find their way into the general waste bin.

By focusing on commonly missed items such as empty aerosols, plastic cleaning product bottles, plastic toiletry bottles, and food tins, Recycle Now wants to foster a deeper understanding of recycling for Recycle Week this year, which runs from 16 to 22 October. This year’s fun activities are designed to engage children and families and empower the youth to become active participants in building a sustainable future.

In Greater Manchester, R4GM are hosting a jam-packed week with 10 events over five days across their visitor centres and online. R4GM will be running education sessions for schools, universities, and businesses, encouraging them to recycle household items that are regularly missed.

The week will finish with an interactive Big Recycling Hunt at the Renew Hub where Salford’s Holy Family Catholic Primary School will search for hidden recyclable treasures across the space. The Renew Hub is where items donated at recycling centres are repaired and upcycled then sold to raise money for the Greater Manchester’s Mayor’s Charity and community projects. The children will have the chance to design a chair and see it re-upholstered, with one lucky student’s design being brought to life by the Renew Hub team.

Some local landmarks will also be lit in green to show support for Recycle Week, including the Tower of Light in Manchester – people are encouraged to share pictures on social media using the #RecycleWeek and #BigRecyclingHunt hashtags.

Cllr Tom Ross, GMCA lead for the Green City- Region and waste and recycling, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting Recycle Week 2023 across Greater Manchester. We’re proud that Greater Manchester has a recycling rate of over 50% which is one of the highest performing city regions in England, but there’s always room for improvement. The Big Recycling Hunt is a great way to educate and inspire our residents.

“If every Greater Manchester household recycled just one more item, over a million more items would be saved from general waste and have the chance to be recycled into something useful. Let’s work together to hunt down those often forgotten about items and recycle as much as we can.”

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!”

Throughout the month of October, R4GM are running the #InTheLoopGM campaign, encouraging residents to recycle items at home and keep them in the loop for as long as possible. It’s important to keep things in the recycling loop because Earth’s resources are finite and materials to make products, including glass and metal that we can recycle at home, are in danger of running out. Not only does recycling mean fewer materials need to be mined, but it also takes much less energy to recycle items than to make new ones.

Most Greater Manchester recycling stays local, and is recycled right here in the North of England:

• Our paper and cardboard is recycled at a paper mill in Trafford, which could be back #InTheLoopGM by the next week.
• Our food waste is transformed into compost in Todmorden, then used to grow crops down the road in Warrington.
• Aluminium cans start their new life at a recycling plant in Warrington, then they can be back on the supermarket shelves in just six weeks.
• Our general waste is even transformed into energy at sites in Bolton and Runcorn and used to power homes and businesses.

Why should I recycle?

Top tips for recycling in Greater Manchester:

• Recycle more items from the bathroom. Adding a recycling bin in the bathroom makes it easy to collect bathroom plastics like shampoo and cleaning bottles, aerosols, and toilet roll tubes.
• Refresh your recycling knowledge and check out the R4GM recycling guide
• Book a free tour. Schools and community groups can book on a free tour to a Materials Recovery Facility where our mixed recycling goes to get sorted. The tour shows the process, the clever machinery involved, and explains what happens to our recycling.
• Remember we only collect plastic bottles, so put plastic pots, tubs, and trays in the general waste bin.

To find out more about Recycle Week visit www.recyclenow.org.uk

Article Published: 16/10/2023 10:15 AM