First digital tool launched to help Borderers recycle more

Published: 23rd September 2021

A new online platform has been created to help people across the Scottish Borders recycle more

What is the Recycle Sorter and how can it help you recycle more?

The new Recycling Sorter website, launched by Zero Waste Scotland, is the first digital recycling tool designed to combat confusion and help Scotland meet future recycling targets.

The tool allows for residents to search what items can be recycled, and in which bin, in any Scottish local authority.

The Recycling Sorter has been launched to mark Recycle Week (20-26 September 2021), which aims to raise awareness about and promote the benefits of recycling.

Campaign to encourage more recycling across Scotland 

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 and almost half of Scots admit that they could increase the amount of recycling they do.

The creation of the new Recycling Sorter will help simplify and bring clarity to recycling, ensuring that all households across the Scottish Borders are recycling more of the right things in the right places and preventing recyclable items from ending up in landfill.

It is the centrepiece of a new Zero Waste Scotland campaign, launched this week, called It’s Time to Get Recycling Sorted, to help increase the nation’s recycling abilities, helping householders in the Scottish Borders know where to go for up to date information and to build awareness of how to recycle correctly.

Our recycling performance 

In 2019 we achieved a total recycling rate of 49%, representing an increase of over 10% from the previous year and the largest increase of any local authority in Scotland.

This is significantly higher than the national recycling average (44.9%) and positions us as the highest performing rural local authority in Scotland.

The increase in recycling performance also coincides with a significant reduction in the amount of waste reaching landfill and a reduction in carbon emissions of 11k tonnes CO2e between 2018 and 2019.

If you’re not sure what to recycle in your area, visit Zero Waste Scotland’s Recycling Sorter for all the information you need. 

Councillor Gordon Edgar, Executive Member for Infrastructure, Travel and Transport

“When it’s done right, recycling is one of the easiest everyday actions we can take to reduce our carbon footprint.

“Finding clear and simple solutions to help educate our residents around what can and can’t be recycled plays an extremely important part in reducing the levels of waste that reach landfill and the new Recycling Sorter website can make a real difference.

“Scotland has set ambitious targets of achieving net-zero emissions by 2045 and recycling 70% of Scottish household waste by 2025 and everyone in the Borders has an important part to play in helping achieve those targets.”

Ray Georgeson, Head of Resource Management, Waste and Recycling at Zero Waste Scotland

“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 revealed 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.”