Date published: 16 September 2026
Residents are being urged to take a second look this Recycle Week to help keep recyclable items out of black bins.
Billions of items that could be recycled are thrown away across the UK every year. In Wychavon, analysis shows 10% of the average black bin is made up of materials that could be recycled easily in the green bin.
Every recyclable item put in the black bin is a missed opportunity to keep valuable materials in use and reduce the need for new raw materials.
Wychavon is throwing a spotlight on the issue in support of the national Recycle Week campaign, which runs from 14 to 20 September. The campaign uses colourful characters across Wychavon’s social media platforms to highlight how recycling correctly can make a big difference to the environment and help tackle climate change.
For example, shampoo bottles can be recycled into plastic garden chairs, toilet roll tubes can become notebooks, aerosol cans could become part of a bike and kitchen foil can end up as part of a car engine.
Pictured: A crew member collecting recycling.
To help residents ensure they are making as big a difference as they can, they can use the Wychavon Bin Hub app or visit www.wychavon.gov.uk/bin-hub and check out our online database containing information on how to recycle thousands of items.
Residents are also being reminded that, following changes earlier this year, they can now recycle soft plastic tubes, such as toothpaste tubes, and clean aluminium foil in their green bin.
Cllr Emma Stokes, Wychavon's Executive Board Member for Resources, Investment and Innovation, said: “Our residents already do a fantastic job of recycling and we're incredibly grateful for the effort they make, but valuable materials are still being thrown away when they could be used again.
“Recycle Week is a good opportunity to take another look at what you're putting in your black bin and ask whether it could be recycled instead.
“We've made that even easier this year by adding things like aluminium foil and plastic tubes, including toothpaste tubes, to our recycling collections.
“Every item might seem small on its own, but together they add up. So before something goes in the black bin, take a second to check whether it can be recycled.”
Catherine David, CEO of WRAP, said: “Recycling is one of the easiest ways we can all help to divert millions of tonnes of waste from landfill and incineration, conserve scarce natural resources and cut carbon emissions.
“Each year millions of shampoo bottles, aluminium foil, toothpaste tubes and other recycling are binned when they could be recycled, so this Recycle Week we're asking people to be a hero at home and rescue more recycling.”
Find out what you can recycle in Wychavon at www.wychavon.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling