Recycle Week is now underway

Kirkinriola PS pupils Luke Millar of P6 and Naomi Turtle of P7, with Mid and East Antrim Mayor Audrey Wales MBE and Barry Tapster. (Submitted Picture).

The 2016 initiative, which is part of the national Recycle Now programme, will this year focus on ‘The Unusual Suspects’ - household items such as bleach bottles and deodorant cans and even simple tubs which can now also be recycled, but are often forgotten about.

Highlightin the special week, Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough, Councillor Audrey Wales MBE said: “By reducing the amount going to landfill everyone benefits, not least the ratepayer, because of much lower costs to Council when processing waste.

“The theme this year - The Unusual Suspects – is highlighting the many plastic items that can now be included for recycling, such as the smaller plastic tubs that for example are now okay for recycling in the blue bins in Larne,” she said.

Cllr Wales was speaking to local children at Kirkinriola Primary School, Ballymena during a visit that coincided with the arrival of an educational mobile display run by arc21, a resource on recycling that is currently touring schools in the Borough.

The Mayor met pupils Luke Millar and Naomi Turtle, along with Council’s Barry Tapster, who was on hand to assist in this important environmental initiative. She also highlighted how reducing food waste is not only good for the environment – and Council - but also good for family finances. “Recycling statistics for food waste in the United Kingdom show that households could save up to £60 per month simply by reducing food waste,” said Councillor Wales.

That’s good news for the 2,500 homes in Mid and East Antrim Borough - who currently do not have brown bins - and who have just joined a pilot scheme for the collection of separate food waste.