Zero Waste Scotland has launched a new digital tool designed to help people with the ‘confusion’ over recycling.
The online Recycling Sorter will allow people to search what items can be recycled, and in which bin, in any Scottish local authority.
Almost half of Scots admit that they could increase the amount of recycling they do, and many suffer from recycling confusion at some point during the process.
The tool aims to simplify and bring clarity to recycling ensuring that all households are recycling more of the right things in the right places. Sorting the right recyclable items into the right bin means they won’t needlessly end up in landfill.
When it’s done right, recycling is one of the easiest everyday actions we can take to reduce our carbon footprint. With the aim of recycling 70% of Scottish waste by 2025 and the equally ambitious climate change target of Scotland achieving net-zero emissions by 2045, Zero Waste Scotland is urging the public to play their part now.
Research carried out by Zero Waste Scotland has shown that a third of Scots often aren’t sure about which items can and can’t be recycled. The Recycling Sorter is the centrepiece of a new Zero Waste Scotland campaign, launched today, called It’s Time to Get Recycling Sorted – to coincide with Recycle Week – to help increase the nation’s recycling abilities: ensuring householders know where to go for up-to-date information and to build awareness of how to recycle correctly.
Ray Georgeson, head of resource management, waste and recycling at Zero Waste Scotland, said: “We know there’s confusion out there surrounding recycling different materials and products at home. The Recycling Sorter takes people back to basics and cuts through confusion. The user-friendly tool will inform people of what items can and can’t be recycled and how to prepare items for recycling – such as wash, squash, sort – and includes hints and tips to make it easier at home.
“The national recycling rate is not going in the right direction fast enough and we need to act now to transform our national recycling performance. Research carried out by Zero Waste Scotland reveals that nearly half the population could definitely increase the amount of recycling they do.
“Take action this Recycle Week, It’s Time to Get Recycling Sorted.”
The Recycling Sorter is available here.
