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Sorted!
Waste news
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If you are planning to visit your local recycling site, please remember that from Tuesday, 1 October our 16 recycling sites will be changing to autumn/winter opening hours. All sites will remain open on weekends from 9am to 4pm.
Midweek, opening days will vary from site to site, please check online. Recycling sites will be open from 9am to 5pm.
To find your local recycling site visit our recycling sites opening hours webpage.
Somerset Council and SUEZ recycling and recovery UK will be providing another peek behind the scenes at a recycling facility in Somerset on Saturday, 14 September.
Evercreech Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) will be open to the public for a series of free tours over one day in September.
Each tour allows residents to find out what happens after the colourful trucks collect their recycling.
Last few tickets remaining - booking is essential.
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Businesses need to make sure they are recycling.
Every business is responsible for their waste, and from 1 April 2025 will need to make sure the following materials are recycled.
- food waste
- paper and cardboard
- cartons
- glass bottles and jars
- food tins and drinks cans, foil and aerosols
- plastic bottles and pots tubs and trays
- from 2027, plastic films
The changes mean that whether at home or in the office people can recycle the same materials.
This autumn, Fixy will be on the road and heading to events across Somerset.
Event
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Where
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When
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Eat: Wellington
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South Street and High Street, Wellington.
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Saturday, 7 September,10am to 4pm
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Wild and Green Community Fair
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The Balsam Centre, Wincanton
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Saturday, 14 September, 10am to 2pm
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Taunton Together
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Hammet Street, Taunton
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Saturday, 28 September, 11am to 4pm
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Fixy at launch of Minehead Repair Cafe
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Sacred Heart, Townsend Road, Minehead TA24 5RG
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Saturday, 19 October, 10am to 12 noon
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International Repair Day at Wells Eco Week
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Market Place, Wells
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Sunday, 20 October, 11am to 2pm
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Fixy at Wedmore Repair Café
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2 Cheddar Road, Wedmore
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Saturday, 26 October, 11am to 1pm
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 Want to switch to reusable period products, continence products, nappies or wipes, but don’t know where to start?
Why not join us at a reusable personal care event?
Get helpful impartial advice and have the opportunity to take a closer look at different products without the pressure buy.
Join us at:
- Priorswood Community Centre, Taunton on Thursday, 19 September, from 1.00 to 2.30pm to see a range of reusable personal care products.
- Victoria Park Community Centre, Bridgwater on Thursday, 12 September, from 12 noon to 2pm to see a range of reusable personal care products.
For those who are interested in trying a reusable period pad there will also be the opportunity to complete a short survey. In return, you'll get a free reusable period pad to take home and try for yourself.
Did you know?
2.5% of Somerset’s rubbish bin is made up of disposable sanitary items including period and incontinence products. A further 11% is nappies!
The UK disposes of around 3 billion disposable nappies each year. Making the switch to reusable nappies could save carbon as well as saving you money!
According to Wrap real nappies can save parents around £200 to £500 over 2.5 years for their first baby and even more if re-used for subsequent children.
And when it comes to period products, a big-brand pack of 14 menstrual pads contains the same amount of plastic as five carrier bags. And each pad can be made of up to 90% crude oil, so switching to reusables can both reduce plastic waste and save money.
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Did you know that if one million of us recycled at least one cable, we could save 5,000kg of copper from going to waste.
Copper is a material essential in everyday things that we take for granted – like our phones, our transport, clean energy, lifesaving medical equipment and our green future.
In the lead up to international E-Waste Day, the Recycle Your Electricals campaign is highlighting the importance of saving all electricals – including cables, from the bin.
The average household has around five unused cables lying around the house – what’s worse is that 5 million cables are binned each year!
Copper can be recycled again and again, so don’t let it go to waste.
Cables are easy to recycle in Somerset – just bag them (and any other unwanted small electricals up) and pop them on top of one of your recycling boxes.
Have a larger electrical item to recycle? Take to any of our recycling sites and recycle them for free.
We’ve partnered with SUEZ, and On Your Bike to donate bikes collected via the council’s bulky collection service to On Your Bike. The charity, based in Bridgwater and Taunton, refurbishes bikes or uses them for parts, supporting community members facing social exclusion, disabilities, or mental health issues.
Refurbished bikes are sold at affordable prices, with proceeds funding local projects. In the first month, more than 25 bikes were donated.
 Preparing for the start of a new school year can be stressful, especially with the pressure to have everything brand new and the feeling you must keep up with all the latest trends.
Don’t despair. These tips might ease this pressure, save you money and the cherry on the top is that they are also eco-friendly!
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Double-check what you already have before you buy new school supplies to prevent duplication. Could you share outsized uniform with other families in the class or school? Second hand is no longer thought of as second best. Check out online marketplaces for gently used items. You might find some great deals on backpacks, clothes, and more. The Somerset/North Somerset 2nd hand uniform Facebook group is a great place to list or find local preloved school uniform and kit. Some local schools have their own 'swap shops', check with your child's school.
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Identify what truly needs to be new and what can be reused or repurposed. Simple repairs of missing buttons or hems can save buying new. Repurposing trousers that have become too short into shorts is a creative way of making clothes last longer.
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Choose sustainable school supplies, such as notebooks made from recycled paper or bamboo refillable pens. You can even get highlighter pencils to reduce the use of plastic. Replace clingfilm or foil with beeswax reusable sandwich wraps, you can even make your own. And encourage children to bring home fruit peelings to recycle at home if the school doesn’t yet recycle food waste.
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Find out if your school has a cycling or walking to school group to reduce car travel if you live close enough, or see if you can share lifts with other local families to reduce congestion. Remember to avoid engine idling near the school to reduce polluting the air.
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