Our recently published Surrey Waste Tracker has shown that Surrey is in joint 2nd place out of 29 similar local authorities in England for the proportion of household waste that it recycles. At 54.5%, it’s a success that comes down to great work from Surrey’s residents, the district and borough councils, which collect the material and Surrey County Council, which disposes of it.
We want Surrey to stay at the top end of the recycling league table, perhaps even to go a place higher. But we need your help to do it. Here’s how you can help…
Use the Surrey Recycles search tool
Don’t listen to media reports, what your friends tell you or even what it says on packaging when it comes to how to dispose of something. Instead, use the Surrey Recycles search tool. You enter your postcode, then the item you’re throwing away and you get results straight from the source – your local council. You can search for 510 items, and it has information for each one – you can even suggest new items, and we’ll add them for you!
Use your food caddy
Most people in Surrey already use a food caddy to make sure their food waste is recycled and used to create energy and fuel. If you don’t, then what are you waiting for? It’s one of the best ways you can reduce your impact on the climate, it’s easy to do and it gets all that stinky food waste out of your rubbish bin.
Check it before you wreck it
Did you know that when items that can’t be recycled end up in recycling trucks, whole loads of good recycling can be rejected and treated as if they were rubbish? This hurts our recycling rate – ouch! Some quick tips – garden waste, small electricals, batteries and clothes and textiles can all be recycled separately, packaging with food and drink in or on should go in the rubbish bin every time and recycling should be loose not in bags. So, before you chuck it, check it (and when we say “it” we mean the Surrey Recycles search tool).
Great work, Surrey – let’s keep it up and head towards the top of the table!