Recycle Award

Mrs Mary Higgins was the delighted to win this month’s Recycler of the Month Competition and receive a £50 Buttercrane shopping voucher. Mary of Mossvale

Park, Kilkeel received her blue bin last year and has found it very easy to separate out all her materials for recycling. She gets great satisfaction from knowing that by using her blue and brown bin properly she is doing her bit for the environment. Mary thought she would treat herself to some new clothes with the voucher.

Officers this month found that most bins set out had the correct materials inside. However householders are reminded that no plastic bags or packaging, apart from plastic bottles, should go into the blue bin.

Anyone who uses their blue bin correctly is eligible to win the voucher. This means that the blue bin is not contaminated, all material is clean, dry and loose, and where appropriate lids are removed and containers are washed and squashed. The correct materials are paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and food, drink and aerosol cans.

Over the past few weeks there has been some media coverage about a decline in the market for recyclables. Newry and Mourne District Council would like to assure all householders that everything put out for recycling is being recycled. Recycling is still vital, material not put out for recycling will most certainly go to landfill and the disposal costs, including landfill tax will fall on Council ratepayers. The fundamental demand for good quality recyclable materials remains in place and residents' efforts to prevent valuable resources going into landfill should continue. The message is clear we should continue to recycle as much as we can.

For more information about recycling or the competition, please contact Tara Cunningham on (028) 30313233 or email recycling@newryandmourne.gov.uk.