![Two green recycling bags and a food waste bin at the kerbside](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/UKWOKBC/2024/02/9056279/5285328/newsletter-images-14_crop.png) More hubs open to grab your green bags
We’ve launched 12 extra hubs where you can pick up free green recycling bags, bringing the total to 17, as we prepare to change our household waste collections.
From late May, households will be getting a 180-litre black wheeled rubbish bin. This will be emptied every two weeks from mid-August, replacing the weekly blue bag collections.
Recycling will also be collected fortnightly, on weeks when rubbish isn’t collected, so please make sure you have enough reusable, sealable green bags.
There'll be no limit on how many green bags you put out, but up to four should be enough as this adds up to 240 litres, the same size as a larger wheeled bin.
Food waste collections are staying weekly, so please pick up a free food bin and indoor caddy from selected hubs if you’re not using one already. We need to improve our recycling rate to save money and reduce our environmental impact, and food waste is still a major area for improvement.
Check our website for the locations of all hubs where you can pick up free green recycling bags and food bin or indoor caddy.
![A group of men and women picking litter on the street](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/UKWOKBC/2024/02/9061232/5285329/newsletter-images-15_crop.png) Join us on a community litter pick
Come join the borough-wide Annual Litter Pick on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March to help make a difference to where you live.
No previous experience is needed. To take part in a litter pick, you will need to wear gloves and sturdy shoes. We encourage you to bring your own litter picker and high-visibility vest, but if you don't have any, we will provide them to you while stocks last. Bags will also be given out to collect litter.
Apart from keeping your local area clean, community litter picks also give you an opportunity to meet new people and educate children about the importance of looking after our world.
Visit our website to find out how to contact your local organiser if you're interested.
Our Annual Litter Pick is organised in support of Keep Britain Tidy's Great British Spring Clean.
![A close-up of a technician pointing right to the words repair cafe and new](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/UKWOKBC/2024/02/9045568/5280517/newsletter-images-11_crop.png) New repair café in Wokingham town
A new repair café is coming to the borough!
Wokingham Repair Café will be opening its door on Saturday 13 April at All Saints Church in Wokingham (RG40 1TN). It will be running on the second Saturday of the month, from 10am to 1pm.
Same as other repair cafés, there will be volunteers standing by to help you fix your broken household items.
The organisers still need volunteers with different repair skills or those who want to take part as a receptionist or other jobs on the day. If you want to lend a hand, contact the team on their website.
Wokingham Repair Café will be running in partnership with Wokingham in Bloom and Maya's Refillables.
This Sunday (3 March), visit Spencers Wood Village Hall Repair Café (RG7 1AP, from 10am to 1pm) or Woodley Repair Café (RG6 3LA, from 2pm to 4pm), if you have any broken or faulty household items.
![A graphic showing the content of a blue rubbish bag](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/UKWOKBC/2024/02/9046111/5280518/newsletter-images-12_crop.png) Plastic recycling demystified
Plastic waste has become a major environmental issue worldwide. In the UK, more than five million tonnes of plastic is used each year — and yet only a quarter of it is recycled*.
Plastic waste that isn’t recycled enters our environment, polluting soil, rivers and ocean, causing harm to wildlife.
A recent look at samples of blue bin bags collected at selected streets in the borough shows six per cent of the contents are plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays.
In fact, nearly all types of plastic can be recycled. Read the section below to learn more about how to recycle your plastic waste.
![A top view of a table with post-it notes reading Q&A, a pen, a clip and a calculator](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/UKWOKBC/2024/02/9048354/5280519/newsletter-images-13_crop.png) 1. What kinds of plastic packaging can be recycled?
- Many types of plastic bags and wrapping are accepted at major supermarkets, such as bubble wrap, fruit nets, toilet roll wrap and more
- Check the Recycle Now website for a list of plastic packaging that can be recycled
2. Can plastic toys, bins and buckets be recycled?
- Yes. These hard plastic items can be recycled at re3 recycling centres. Other recyclable plastic waste include plastic crates, storage boxes, pipes, garden furniture and plant pots
- If they're in good condition, donate them to your local charities or take them to the re-use area at the re3 recycling centres
3. Can cleaning product bottles, like detergent and bleach, be recycled?
- Yes. they can be recycled in your green bags, with any triggers left on. However, pumps should be removed. Find out more on the Recycle Now website.
4. Can I recycle black plastic tubs or trays?
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No. At the recycling plant, plastic packaging is sorted into different types of plastic for reprocessing. As black plastic is coloured using carbon black pigments which don’t reflect light properly, it is hard to be detected by the machine and sorted for recycling
5. Do I need to rinse cans or yoghurt pots before recycling?
- Yes. A quick rinse will help remove leftover food or liquid, which can contaminate other recyclables in your green bags
6. Do I need to remove labels, lids and tops when recycling plastic bottles?
- No. Leave them on. Labels will be removed during the recycling process, while lids and tops can be recycled along with the bottles
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