How to recycle
Every council in Derbyshire provides a kerbside recycling collection service to the majority of their residents. This means you can put certain items in a recycling container (wheelie bin, bag or box) provided by your council and it will be collected from your kerbside.
If you've lost or broken your recycling bin, bag or box, contact your local council and they can provide you with a replacement.
Can you do more?
Here are 4 steps to make sure you are recycling as much as you can. It applies to all waste you produce from your home.
Use your council kerbside recycling collection service
Kerbside recycling services vary across Derbyshire. Separate wheelie bins, boxes or bags are used for different materials. Make sure you recycle all the materials your council scheme collects. If you're not sure if you can include a material for recycling contact your local council or visit Recycle Now where you can put in your postcode for local information.
Take other materials to your local recycling bank or charity shop
Supermarkets may have a good range of banks in their car parks, collecting materials such as paper, cans, glass, plastic containers, aluminium foil, clothing and shoes. Charity shops always welcome good, saleable items.
Use your local household waste recycling centres
We collect a wide variety of materials for reuse and recycling at our 9 household waste recycling centres. For example, wood, batteries, beverage cartons, garden waste, cardboard, metal, plastic bottles, fridges and freezers, other electrical items (small and large), oil, light bulbs, glass, cans and paper.
Encourage your family, friends and neighbours to do more
Talk to your neighbours, family or friends to see if you can help them recycle more or to someone who is a keen recycler if you need any help and ideas.
Why we should recycle
Recycling conserves resources
When we recycle, used materials are converted into new products, reducing the need to consume natural resources. If materials are not recycled, new products are made by extracting fresh, raw material from the earth, through mining and forestry.
Recycling helps conserve important raw materials and protects natural habitats for the future.
Recycling saves energy
Using recycled materials in the manufacturing process uses considerably less energy than that needed for producing new products from raw materials. Even when comparing all associated costs including transport.
Extra energy savings are made when recycled materials are used by industry. It takes more energy to extract, refine, transport and process raw materials ready for use by industry compared with providing industry-ready materials.
Recycling helps protect the environment
Recycling reduces the need to extract (mining, quarrying and logging), refine and process raw materials all of which create substantial air and water pollution.
As recycling saves energy it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which helps to tackle climate change. Current UK recycling is estimated to save more than 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year being produced – the equivalent to taking 5 million cars off the road.
Recycling reduces landfill
When we recycle, recyclable materials are made into new products, and as a result the amount of waste sent to landfill sites reduces.