Why do we need to Recycle

Why do we need to recycle?

There are millions of reasons to recycle as much as possible.

Did you know?

  • 75% of the waste in an average general waste bin could have been recycled through existing services (kerbside recycling and food waste collections and Community Recycling Centres).
  • Food waste makes up over 30% of the average general waste bin and is one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions in the waste stream.
  • Recycling significantly reduces our impact on the environment:
  1. Saves valuable resources
  2. Reduces the need to use natural resources e.g. trees for new paper
  3. Making products from recycled materials uses less energy in the manufacturing process
  4. Reduces pollution
  5. Helps reduce carbon emissions
  • It is cheaper to recycle our waste than to send it for treatment as general waste. This saving could be used towards other services.
  • We have an ambition to achieve Net Zero by 2045 on/for the Council’s Climate emissions
  • The Scottish Government has a target of 70% of all waste to be recycled or prepared for reuse by 2025
  • We achieved a recycling rate of 54.8% in 2021 and were ranked the highest performing rural authority in Scotland, and the fourth highest performing Scottish Council,  but we still have a long way to go to reach future targets

Thank you for your continued support and all your recycling efforts but we still need to do more.

Help us to do even better by using the right bin for the right stuff, see what goes in each bin and what you can take to our Community Recycling Centres.

We can all play our part!

 

 


Find out about reducing and reusing your waste

Waste and recycling

Address: Council Headquarters
Newtown St. Boswells
Melrose
TD6 0SA

Telephone: 0300 100 1800