Recycle Week 2023 

We are looking forward to supporting this year's Recycle Week. An annual campaign run by Recycle Now to  raise the profile of recycling nationally and encourage us all to recycle more of the right things, more often.

This year's theme will be The Big Recycling Hunt. Encouraging both children and adults to hunt down all those items that can be recycled that may get forgotten, such as empty cleaning spray bottles, empty shampoo bottles or trays from last night's takeaway.

Follow us on social media from 16-24 October for more.

Find out more about Recycle Week 

Check out The Action Pack for school children

We're going on a recycling hunt...

Apples are currently in season

There are many things to do if you have a glut of apples, from cooking them into pies to juicing them, making chutneys and freezing them.

Love Food Hate Waste have some recipe ideas and storage tips. 

You could also consider dropping off excess apples to your local community fridge for others to enjoy or cook with. Find your local community fridge. 

There are often local apple pressing events taking place where you may be able to take your apples.

Rotten apples that have fallen from the tree in your garden can be composted using the garden waste collection service. Due to their weight, if you have a lot please spread them over a few collection days. Occasionally if bins are exceptionally heavy we are unable to empty them.

It's coming up for that scary time of year again.

According to environmental charity Hubbub, 39.9 million pumpkins will be bought this Halloween, and of these 22.2 million will go to waste, left uneaten. That's £32.6 million worth of edible food!

Could you change that this year, and look to decorate differently or plan to eat your pumpkin?

To help you, Hubbub have a fabulous range of recipes in this e-book for inspiration. From pies and curries to soups and even a brownie recipe, there should be something to suit everyone's taste buds. However, if you need further inspiration, Love Food Hate Waste have a few more leftover Halloween pumpkin recipes for you to try.

If you are unsure how to go about prepping your pumpkin and which bits you can eat, find out how to eat your pumpkin

How will you plan to waste less of your pumpkin this Halloween?

Costumes

Dressing up for Halloween may not be as popular here as it is in the states, however it is growing in popularity. More than 39 million families dress up for Halloween in the UK and 90% buy new costumes every year.

Instead of buying new, could you swap with a friend this year, to save yourself money and waste? Visit your local charity shop for inspiration.

Or how about creating your own costume from things you already have or will use again?

Find out how to make a DIY costume that won't spook the planet.

Decorations

When it comes to decorating. Try to reuse something you used last year and look for decorations that can be recycled once you have finished your celebrations.

Sweets and treats

Could you make or bake your own to reduce your waste?

Recycle Devon have some creative ideas for celebrating Halloween on their website.

We recommend stacking your recycling boxes whenever you put them out for collection. As the weather turns more autumnal it is even more important as it can help prevent your recycling from blowing from your boxes.

You can find more information on putting your bins out for collection on our website.

If stacking your boxes is tricky due to the amount of recycling you have, you can maximise the space within your boxes in a number of ways. One way to do this is by squashing the contents - empty drinks cans and milk bottles, for example, can be squashed down to take up less space. Another way is to stack your recycling together. For example, yoghurt pots can often be stacked inside each other to take up less space. We'd also recommend folding all your cardboard boxes before placing them in your green recycling box for collection.

If you have tried all the methods above to maximise the amount of recycling you can fit in your box and still struggle with capacity on a regular basis, you can order an additional recycling box online. If you have large amounts of recycling following deliveries or parties, we would recommend making use of either our recycling banks or your local recycling centre.

With International Repair Day on Saturday 21 October at the start of Reuse Week, Recycle Devon are planning Devon's biggest repair café to celebrate.

The event is being held at America Hall, De La Rue Way, Exeter EX4 8PX and everyone is invited to bring clothes, laptops, bikes, electrical goods and other items to be repaired by a team of volunteer experts.  

Find more information on what to expect at a repair café and a list of all repair cafés across Devon.

Do you have an item at home that needs fixing? Why not bring it to this event or the next repair café in your local area?

Yes, we know it's early and you may not want to talk or think about it yet, but one of the best ways to reduce waste is to make a plan (and we all have that friend who starts Christmas shopping in January).

Before you buy your Christmas cards, make sure you buy cards that can be recycled and don't contain glitter or foil.

Before you order a turkey for 10, double check your guests can make it this year.

Before you buy bows to decorate your presents, consider if you could buy fabric ribbon you could reuse again and again instead. Or even decorate your presents in a different more sustainable way?  Foil bows are not recyclable.

Before you buy gifts for someone that already has everything they need, could you get them a gift experience this year? A voucher for a local restaurant or attraction? Or even adopt an animal on their behalf?

Handmade presents use less packaging and show extra thought and attention. Recycle Devon has a range of homemade, zero waste gift ideas on its website from chocolate truffles to bath bombs, reusable make up wipes and more.

Before you buy a new Christmas jumper or dress for the office party, check your wardrobe first then your local charity shop or a second-hand clothing app.

Before you bin your fairy lights, check if they can be repaired by visiting your local repair café.

How can you plan to waste less this Christmas?

If you are not already part of our garden waste collection service, why not join so that you can get rid of your fallen leaves in your garden waste bin?

Garden waste subscribers have garden waste collected from their properties once a fortnight with the exception of a short break after Christmas.

Find out more about the service and sign up to join.