Recycling

Recycling together for the Environment

It is important that we try and reduce the amount of waste we produce. Waste does not disappear when it leaves your property; most of it goes to landfills causing pollution to land, air and water. If we can't reduce the amount of waste, we need to recycle it. Recycling household waste helps the environment by saving natural resources. North Norfolk District Council and other organisations provide recycling banks for residents to deposit their glass, paper and old clothes for recycling.

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• Batteries

Sainsbury's supermarket has launched a landmark new initiative in the hope of doubling the current household battery recycling rate (4%) in the UK. It hopes to divert 2,500 tonnes of batteries from landfill a year through providing freepost envelopes in stores nationwide. Using freepost envelopes will help to reduce unnecessary vehicle journeys and seperate collections as the batteries will be collected by the Post Office.

Envelopes will be addressed to a Norfolk company called Cellular Surplus, which will remove the batteries for transportation in bulk to the only recycler of alkaline cells in the UK - West Midlands firm G&P Batteries. A recycling service will also be provided for mobile phones and ink cartridge recycling. Please visit your nearest Sainsbury's supermarket for supplies of the freepost envelopes.

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• Bring Banks

We currently have over 300 recycling banks located across the district at Village Halls, Car Parks, Supermarkets, etc. (click here to find your nearest bring bank).

By making use of these banks you will be helping us to achieve our recycling target and you have the opportunity to help raise valuable funds through "Recycling Credit" payments. In 2006/07 we donated over £90,000 to site providers chosen charities and good causes. These included payments to Parish Councils, R.N.L.I., church funds, schools, charities, the Schools Waste Action Club and many more. As you can see, by using your local recycling bank you can help raise valuable funds for local communities and other good causes.

If you need any other information please call our Customer Services Team on 01263 516189/516301.

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• Brita Water Filters

BRITA take their responsibility to environmental issues very seriously and in line with growing consumer demand for greener living, BRITA has launched a new in store recycling scheme. Recycling bins are now situated in a range of high street stores such as Robert Dyas, Argos and Cargo. Other major retailer collection points will be following soon.

The BRITA branded bins will be located next to the existing water filter category in store. Customers can recycle any BRITA consumer product filter cartridge, including those for the new BRITA water filter taps.

For further information regarding this scheme please contact the BRITACare department on 0844 742 4800.

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• Glass

Glass cannot be recycled in your green recycling bin. Please take bottles to your nearest bottle bank for recycling. Find your nearest bottle bank visit www.recycle-more.co.uk and type in your postcode, alternatively telephone NNDC's Customer Services Team on 01263 516189/516301 and they will be able to advise you.

If you are not able to take glass to a bottle bank, please place any in your grey waste bin for collection.

We are keen to site more glass recycling banks across the district to make it easier for residents to recycle. To encourage site providers to come forward we make a "Recycling Credit" payment (based on the weight of glass collected) to their chosen charity or good cause.

If you know of a possible site for a new bank, please approach your Parish Council or Customer Services Team on 01263 516189/516301. Popular sites include village halls, car parks and supermarkets.

Note: Recycling credits are only payable to charitable causes

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• Junk Mail

According to YouGov 72% of consumers want between 50% and 90% of their junk mail stopped. This is said to equate to 1.8 billion items. With an average weight of 75 grams, the estimated weight of unwanted junk mail comes to nearly 137 million tonnes of wasted paper or 900 million trees!

If you wish to reduce the amount of junk mail that you receive there are options available...

Royal Mail offers an opt-out service which stops delivering unaddressed mail within 6 weeks. To sign up for this consumers need to send or e-mail their name and address to: Freepost RRBT-ZBXB-TTTS, Royal Mail Door-to-Door Opt-outs, Kingsmead House, Oxpens Road, Oxford, OX1 1RX or optout@royalmail.com.

Mailing Preference Service provides people with the opportunity to opt out of addressed mail or direct mail for free. To register for this service please visit www.mpsonline.org.uk.

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• Mobile Telephones

Don't bin your old mobile! Mobile phones contain some valuable components, and their batteries can be harmful to the environment as they break down.

Norfolk Schools' Phone Amnesty enables you to recycle your mobile phone, support your local school and help protect the environment.

We have envelopes available at our Cromer, Fakenham and North Walsham offices for you to send off your old mobile phones. For each mobile phone that is recycled £5 will be donated to your chosen local school.

For further information please visit http://www.recycleyourmobile.co.uk/

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• Printer Cartridges

Childline are raising funds and helping the environment by providing a recycling service for old printer cartridge (excluding Epson).

We have Freepost envelopes available at our Cromer, Fakenham and North Walsham offices for you to send off your old printer cartridges. Childline will receive £1 for each printer cartridge that is recycled.

For further information please visit www.childline.org.uk/extra/cartridgerecycling.asp or call 0800 091 0696.

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• Real Nappies

Today's re-usable nappies are shaped, easy to fasten, and come in all sizes and colours. They're also cheaper and more environmentally friendly than disposables.

So why not try real nappies on your baby? Real Nappies have many advantages, such as...

Babies' Health

• Washable nappies do not contain gels or chemicals in the absorbent pad and are made of pure cotton
• They are soft and kind to your baby's skin
• Not changing the nappy frequently is a main cause of nappy rash rather than the type of nappy worn.* (*Research by Bristol University)

The Savings

• Washing reusable nappies at home can save you up to £600 for your first child, and more for subsequent children, compared with using disposables
• Getting rid of disposable nappies costs the council-tax payer in Norfolk over £350,000 a year.

The Environment

• One baby uses about 5000 disposable nappies compared with up to 20 washable nappies
• Every disposable nappy that has ever been buried in a landfill site still exists, so it is unknown how long it will take for disposable nappies to decompose
• Washable nappies allow all bodily waste and associated viruses to be flushed down the toilet, instead of being buried in landfill sites
• The equivalent of 7 million trees are used every year just to produce Britain's disposable nappies.

What About Convenience?

The nappy liner goes down the toilet and the nappy goes in a nappy bin, then wash at 60C (no soaking or boiling needed), hang to dry or tumble.

Norfolk County Council Promotion

To promote washable nappies Norfolk Waste Management Partnership are offering a one-off £30 discount, to find out more and claim a one-off £30 discount on buying re-usable nappies or using a nappy-washing service, call Norfolk County Council on 0844 800 8004 or go to Norfolk County Council - Washable Nappies Page for a downloadable copy of the discount form.

Local Nappy Suppliers

• Nappy Days - 01603 860049. For nappy advice, demonstration and sales email: val@nappy-days.co.uk
• Newborn Nappy Laundry Service - 01508 489305
• Lollipop - http://www.teamlollipop.co.uk/

Other Useful Contacts:

• The Real Nappy Campaign - http://www.realnappycampaign.com/ - 0845 850 0606
• The Women's Environmental Network - http://www.wen.org.uk/ - 020 7481 9004
• Norfolk County Council Waste Management Section - 01603 222259
• Nappy Line - 01983 401959

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• Tetra Paks

Tetra Paks are the packaging used for liquid food - for example, milk, fruit juice and soup cartons. They are made from layers of paperboard, aluminium and polyethylene. These can now be taken to any Norfolk County Council Recycling Centre.

For more information on beverage carton recycling, visit http://www.tetrapakrecycling.co.uk/

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• Textiles - SCOPE

Clothes and textiles cannot be collected for recycling through our Twin Bins scheme, although the Council is presently negotiating with the charity SCOPE, to arrange an occasional kerbside collection for those items.

In the meantime, please use one of the SCOPE's textile banks at the Norfolk County Council Recycling Centres or donate good quality items to a local charity shop.

SCOPE textile banks are also located at:

• Queens Road Car Park, Fakenham
• Meadow Road Car Park, Cromer
• Station Approach/Road Car Park, Sheringham
• High Street Car Park, Stalham
• New Road Car park, North Walsham
• Stearmans Yard Car Park, Wells-next-the-Sea

If you are interested in finding out more about SCOPE, visit their website at http://www.scope.org.uk/