Residents being helped to make the most of recycling centres

Mid and East Antrim Council are supporting a Household Recycling Centre campaign launched to ensure clear messaging for users.
Mayor Lindsay Millar has welcomed the benefits that will be gained from the new Household Recycling (HRC) campaign.Mayor Lindsay Millar has welcomed the benefits that will be gained from the new Household Recycling (HRC) campaign.
Mayor Lindsay Millar has welcomed the benefits that will be gained from the new Household Recycling (HRC) campaign.

One third of the one million tonnes of waste collected by NI Councils in 2017/18 was collected through Household Recycling Centres (HRCs).

Some 470,000 tonnes of this was recovered (re-used or recycled etc.) and HRC sites contributed to 41% of this.

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Whilst these figures are impressive, a recent review of HRCs in Northern Ireland found that much of the waste that goes into general waste containers could be recycled.

This prompted Councils across the province to work together on a communications campaign using clear and consistent messaging to support householders to re-use and recycle as many items as possible when they visit the sites.

Every householder in the Mid & East Antrim Borough will receive a leaflet explaining how to use their household recycling centre more effectively.

To make trips to the Household Recycling Centre (HRC) as quick and easy as possible householders are encouraged to follow the following simple steps:

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S - Sort recyclable and non-recyclable materials at home. Disposal of recyclable items in general waste skips is not permitted;

O - Organise your recyclables and waste in your vehicle so that when you visit the HRC you can place items in the correct containers. This will make your visit much quicker;

R - Re-use – if you have bulky items such as furniture, electricals and bicycles these could be re-used – look out for the relevant containers.

T - Talk to our staff – if you are unsure about what can and cannot be recycled ask the staffwho will provide advice on which container to use.

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Council recently secured almost £200,000 from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to invest in compaction equipment to maximise the efficiency of operations on site and to invest in larger, consistent signage to assist users.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Council, Councillor Lindsay Millar, said: “It’s encouraging to see that many people already do a great job recycling and doing their bit towards making Mid and East Antrim a cleaner and greener area. Our citizens have to be commended for their incredible recycling efforts so this campaign will only make our already impressive figures better. The new signage will assist users of Household Recycling Centres and make their visit as quick and easy as possible.”

“Increasing recycling at our HRC sites reduces the cost of landfill, reduces our impact on the environment and helps to create jobs and support the local economy.”