News

Recycle Week: This year Mid & East Antrim Borough Council is joining The BIG Recycling Hunt

Monday 16 October 2023

Now in its 20th year, Recycle Week is the nation’s biggest annual celebration of recycling.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna with Philip Thompson, Director of Operations at MEABC.

This Recycle Week, Recycle Now and Mid and East Antrim Borough Council are launching a fun mission for primary school children with the arrival of: The Big Recycling Hunt.

Recycle Week is calling on children aged 5 to 11 in Mid and East Antrim to take the lead in protecting our planet. With a week of fun activities, the campaign wants to empower the youth to become active participants in building a sustainable future.

"The Big Recycling Hunt", the central theme of this year's campaign, promises to shine a bright spotlight on "missed capture." This nationwide hunt aims to engage children and families in the quest to find 'lost recyclables' that too often find their way into the rubbish bin. By focusing on commonly missed items such as empty aerosols, plastic cleaning product bottles, plastic toiletry bottles, plastic pots and tubs, and food tins, Recycle Now wants to foster a deeper understanding of recycling in the younger generation.

Harriet Lamb, CEO of WRAP, says: “The importance of this initiative extends beyond Recycle Week. By empowering children with the knowledge and tools to become recycling advocates, we are not only nurturing the future but also ensuring a healthier and more sustainable world for all. Join us in celebrating Recycle Week and empowering the next generation of environmental champions!”

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council will also be supporting Recycle Week by promoting recycling through social media, engaging with schools in The Big Recycling Hunt and signposting how to get involved.

Top tips for recycling in Mid and East Antrim:

  • Recycle more of these items: e.g. shampoo bottles, drinks containers and cereal boxes.
  • Make sure you recycle these items too: bathroom plastics and aerosols, tin foil and plastic pots, tubs and trays.

Craig Stephens, Campaign Manager for Recycle Now: “By recycling even better we can have a big impact on our environment. In Mid and East Antrim it’s no different – more and more people are recycling, so the next step is to make sure we hunt down these missed items and get our recycling right. So come on, Mid and East Antrim keep up the great work and let’s make your borough’s recycling better than ever before!”

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Gerardine Mulvenna said: “We’ve been involved with Recycle Week for many years now and our residents always come together to really push recycling performance across the borough. This week-long event highlights the importance of continuing to recycle, and to recycle more, as it not only reduces the need for new materials, it also supports a circular economy and drives down carbon emissions. It’s a  fantastic initiative and it’s really encouraging to see young children and primary school kids getting involved.”

Recycling doesn’t have to be confusing. To find out what can be recycled in your area, use Recycle Now’s Recycling Locator: Recycle an Item | Recycle Now. To find out more about Recycle Week and The Big Recycling Hunt visit The Action Pack.

To find out more about Recycle Week visit the Recycle Now website's Recycle Week page.