Recycling Roundup 21st January

Recycling Roundup 21^st January

Contact lens wearers can now recycle their lenses for free after the launch of a nationwide recycling scheme last week. People can now take them to drop-off points at Boots Opticians and selected independent opticians, or opt to have them collected. The scheme is open to all wearers, no matter which brand of lens they use. And it’s not just the lenses that can be recycled, the scheme also applies to the packaging.

Contact lens wearers previously had to pay if they wanted to recycle their lenses so this is a huge shift, and great news for the environment, as rather than putting old lenses down the sink or in the bin, they can be recycled and made into new items like outdoor furniture.

The scheme is being run in conjunction with the recycling company TerraCycle, and lens wearers are advised to check the Acuvue and TerraCycle websites to find out about their nearest drop-off point or available courier.

A recycling bank which collects clothes for charity is being removed from a retail park in Woking after fly-tippers dumped their Christmas rubbish at the site. The waste, in a large car outside of a Waitrose supermarket, made it impossible for people wanting to donate items, and the charity couldn’t access the bank to collect them.

People who visit the retail park said they were disappointed that the bank was being removed because of the inconsiderate actions of a minority.

A spokesman for Waitrose said that the recycling banks don’t belong to them and added that it has contacted the organisation that owns them, asking them to empty the banks and clear the surrounding area as soon as possible.

Ipswich council has joined forces with East of England Co-Op to raise awareness about the town’s kerbside recycling service and recycling contamination. The Co-Op is set to run a trial in its stores to show customers what can and can’t be recycled. It will also visit retail locations in the town to talk to consumers about recycling contamination and how to avoid it. 20 Co-Op stores across Ipswich will also have new recycling points for plastic packaging, carrier bags and batteries.

Residents will be told not to put nappies or crisp packets in their recycling bins and to take any glass to a council recycling bank. They’ll also be reminded that they can recycle Tetrapaks, aerosols, and foil at home.

A local councillor said that reducing waste was everyone’s business and that the council is delighted to be partnering with the Co-Op. He acknowledged that helping people understand what they can recycle was complicated and the partnership will help overcome any challenges.

East of England Co-op previously ran a ‘Guide to Dating’ campaign, which involved selling food that was past its best before dates to reduce waste. The East of England CO-OP chief executive said that the campaign was very well received and this inspired them to look at other ways they could help their customers to reduce waste.

He added that the campaign cut the amount of in-store food waste by 33%, which equates to 350 tonnes, in just one year.