Residents asked to step up their recycling

Recycle Now and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council is asking residents to ‘Step It Up’ in the fight against climate change and take action to protect our environment through even better recycling habits.

Latest research from Recycle Now reveals that almost 9 out of 10 people now recycle.

However, 55% of households put items in the general rubbish bin that can be recycled, including foil, aerosols, and plastic toiletry (shampoo and conditioner bottles), plastic trays and cleaning and bleach bottles. This, say Recycle Now and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, is where we need to ‘Step It Up’. We can all help fight climate change by recycling because recycling currently saves 18 million tonnes of CO₂ every year, which is the same as taking 12 million cars off the road.

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Cathy Mason, said, “This year we’ve all taken more notice of our impact on the environment, and realised that recycling is a key part of reducing that impact. Our latest recycling rates show that more and more of us are recycling, so the next step is to make sure we get our recycling right by reducing contamination in our recycling bins.

Cllr Mason continued "One of the easiest ways residents can address this issue is by recycling more of the right things, more often.”

Recycle Now and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council are here to help! Newry, Mourne and Down is an area of recyclers so the next step is to make sure we get our recycling right by reducing contamination in our recycling bins. One of the easiest ways residents can address this issue is by recycling more of the right things, more often. Here are some top tips that residents can do to help us recycle right: 

• Your Blue Bin is for dry recycling materials including glass, bottles and jars
• Your Brown Bin is for ALL food waste 
• Your Black Bin is for all materials that cannot be recycled 
• Remember: Recycling materials MUST NOT be placed in your Black Bin

If residents are unsure about how to recycle a specific item or need more information on recycling materials at home please visit: WWW.NEWRYMOURNEDOWN.ORG/BLUE-GREEN-BIN

Craig Stephens, Campaign Manager for Recycle Now said, “This year we’re focussed on how recycling can help fight climate change and how by recycling even better we can have a bigger impact on our environment. Here in Newry, Mourne and Down it’s no different – more and more of us are recycling, so the next step is to make sure we get our recycling right. So come on, Newry, Mourne and Down, keep up the great work and let’s make recycling better than ever before!”