The UK’s annual Recycle Week launched on Monday 14th October 2024 with a warning that households are wasting one billion items every year that could be recycled.
New statistics reveal billions of recyclable bottles, sprays and toilet roll tubes are facing incineration, or landfill.
Britain’s most binned items include:
743 million yoghurt pots
84 million plastic trigger spray bottles
59 million aftershave/perfume bottles
126 million aerosols
Toilet roll tubes
Recent figures show UK recycling rates have fallen. While nine out of ten people regularly recycle, nearly eight out of ten put one or more items into the bin that could be recycled.
Why it counts
The environmental consequences are clear, and it impacts us all, people and nature not just in Britain but across the globe.
Impacts include extreme weather that’s escalating in frequency and intensity and our increased dependence on fossil fuels.
We need your help to rescue more recycling
On Monday 14th October 2024, Recycle Week Ambassador JJ Chalmers, WRAP CEO, Harriet Lamb and a crew of recyclable characters took to 10 Downing Street to deliver an impassioned letter to Keir Starmer, asking for the PM and the public’s help to rescue more recycling.
The Recycle Week crew included Dee Dee the deodorant, Rey the plastic trigger spray, Yogi the yoghurt pot, Fitz the perfume bottle and Hube the toilet roll tube.
Rescue Me - Recycle
By recycling every deodorant, plastic trigger spray, yoghurt pot, perfume or aftershave bottle, and toilet roll tube, you'll be doing your bit to make sure that many more recyclable items are rescued from the rubbish bin.
Want to go even further? Enter your postcode in our handy recycling locator tool to double check you're recycling every item you can at home and locally to you.
