Recycling simplified across Leicestershire

District councils in Leicestershire have joined forces to make recycling easier than ever by providing a more consistent recycling service for Leicestershire residents.

The majority of county residents are now able to recycle exactly the same materials in their recycling wheelie bins wherever they live in the county. 

Six district councils have worked together to produce one simple list of what can and cannot be put into the recycling bin. It is hoped that not only will this offer better consistency for residents countywide, but that it will also encourage residents to recycle more things, more often.

A complete list of items that can be recycled can be seen here: www.lesswaste.org.uk/items-accepted-for-recycling-at-casepak

Until recently, when recycling bins were emptied by crews in each council area, the contents were taken to several different recycling sites for sorting. Each recycling site had different rules and different processes which meant items that could be recycled in some districts could not be recycled in others. That changed last year and now recycling collections from most districts - Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley & Bosworth, Melton and Oadby & Wigston - are now taken to a single materials recycling facility in Leicester which has enabled the councils to team up for the first time.

Up to date information on what the recycling is used for is also available at www.lesswaste.org.uk

Cllr Leigh Harper-Davies, lead member for major contracts at Charnwood Borough Council said: “It’s important we make recycling as easy as possible to ensure residents in Charnwood can recycle as much as possible.

“I’m pleased we’ve been able to work with other district councils in Leicestershire to produce a single list and hope residents will take time to look at the list of what can be put in their green recycling bin.”

Beverley Jolly, joint chief executive of Harborough District Council and Leicestershire districts’ lead on waste said: "It's been a source of some frustration to Leicestershire residents for some time that items that can be recycled by some councils cannot be recycled by others. 

"It's also an issue that WRAP, the national waste and resources action programme, is keen to tackle as their research says that inconsistency leads to confusion and puts people off recycling so we were keen to work together to produce a single list for recycling that applies countywide.

"We really hope this will make recycling easier than ever for Leicestershire residents, leading to more recycling and less waste going to landfill.”