Recycle Week 2014 starts today and will run until Sunday 22 June in a week-long push to get more people recycling.

Now in its eleventh year, Recycle Week is organised and funded by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) through its Recycle Now initiative, and sees councils, retailers and businesses from across the UK highlighting the benefits of recycling.

The theme for this year is ‘Recycling at Home and Away’ with a focus on promoting recycling in public places.

According to Recycle Now, the week is aimed at ‘encouraging people to recycle more things more often by thanking them for their efforts and showing what more can be done such as explaining the importance of recycling good quality materials and reducing contamination’.

There will be events held across the UK all week in an attempt to raise awareness, educate and inform people of the benefits of recycling.

Recycle Week and the World Cup

This year’s Recycle Week happens to coincide with the World Cup, and organisers are hoping they see a surge in the amount of material recycled publically because of this.

WRAP has produced a free-to-use promotional resources pack with online banners, supporter badges, Facebook cover images and information on how best to promote recycling and minimise waste throughout the tournament.

The pack includes suggested social media postings and tips on how people holding barbecues or gatherings for a televised football match can best avoid food and packaging waste.

It also suggests taking old, unwanted football shirts to recycle banks or local charity shops if councils do not offer household collections, while charities Football 4 Africa and Kits 4 Causes can also pass donated football strips on to those in need.

WRAP has also highlighted that the current football shirt worn by the England team is made from 100 per cent recycled polyester, which comes from an average of 18 recycled plastic bottles.

Recycle Week in Wales

Recycle for Wales is supporting Recycle Week 2014 by promoting the use of recycling bins away from the home.

The Welsh Government has funded 1,041 recycling bins over the last year, and claims that recycling the waste created outside the home has ‘never been easier’.

Andrew Osborne from Recycle for Wales offered the following advice for residents: "Wales has many beautiful places to visit and a large number provide recycling bins for you to use. However, some places such as beaches may not have recycling bins so we recommend you take your recycling home to avoid creating rubbish in the places we love the most.

“Try to avoid creating unnecessary waste when you are outside by putting your picnic food in reusable, airtight plastic containers instead of wrapping it in aluminium foil or cling film that you will have to throw away, and use reusable plastic bottles for drinks.”

Recycling events are being held across Wales, such as recycling road shows in Neath, Camarthenshire and Caerphilly. There are full lists of these events online.

Recycle Week in Scotland

In Scotland, meanwhile, a new website, www.recycleforscotland.com , has been launched to allow people to check what their local council collects from the home, and to also help people find recycling facilities nearby for all kinds of other things including bikes, car batteries and even paint.

This year’s Recycle Week is the first since the new Waste (Scotland) Regulations came into force in January, which require all businesses to separate their waste for recycling and businesses across Scotland, including AG Barr and Tesco Bank, are running activity in the workplace to get staff recycling more. Visitors to the Royal Highland Show will also be encouraged to recycle their plastic bottles through a Coca Cola recycling drive.

Iain Gulland, Director of Zero Waste Scotland said: “Recycling is about much more than preventing things from ending up in landfill. The material we put in our recycling bins has real value and goes on to be used in all sorts of ways that benefit Scotland. Green glass from things like wine and beer bottles can be transformed into a variety of things, ranging from new bottles right through to high value water filtration material, providing clean drinking water and supporting Scottish jobs and the economy. Our food waste is transformed into renewable energy and high-quality fertilisers and compost.

“By simply making sure the right materials go in the right bin, we’re playing a part in creating a circular economy in Scotland, where there is no waste, just materials that go on to be used again and again.”

Other local events and incentives

Local councils throughout the UK are holding events all week to provide information and incentives to local residents about recycling, including:

• 30 of waste management firm Viridor’s household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) in Somerset, West Sussex, Monmouthshire and Torfaen will be offering recyclers of old and broken small waste electrical items (WEEE) a chance to win £100.
• Members of Cherwell District Council’s green team, in Oxfordshire, will visit supermarkets in each of the three locations to hand out recycling goodies and tips to coincide with Recycle Week.
• Portsmouth City Council is launching ‘Bin It To Win It’, aiming to encourage people to recycle their glass and textiles at bring banks around the city. Those entering the competition can win £10 Love2Shop vouchers if they are seen by recycling officers recycling their glass and textiles at the city’s bring banks.
• In Nottinghamshire, the county council’s waste contractor Veolia is using the week to promote plastic bottle reuse or recycling.
• Newry and Mourne Council are running a competition during Recycle Week to give residents a chance to win a summer family pass to Kilkeel or Newry Swimming pool by answering questions about recycling.

More information about events in your area and information on recycling can be found on the Recycle Now website.