Recycling Advice

This page provides advice about recycling and recycling initiatives provided by Wrexham County Borough Council Community Services.

Why reduce rubbish?

Many people are becoming increasingly concerned about the amount of rubbish created and thrown away, wasting a potentially useful resource. An average household in Wrexham County Borough throws away nearly a tonne of waste each year-the weight of a mini car! Getting rid of the rubbish we all produce is costly to the environment and our pockets.

In Wrexham County Borough we have more opportunity than ever before to reclaim this waste. The aim is to reclaim 40% of the waste by the year 2010. Recycling is not the only way of dealing with our rubbish. We need to alter our habits and create less waste in the first place.

Michael's Guide to Reducing Rubbish has some suggestions, we could try, to help reduce the amount of waste we produce in our workplace and our homes by making a few simple changes to our lifestyles.

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The Low Waste Family

The familiar black 240 litre wheeled bin is now emptied every other week. Each household in the Recycle With Michael area has an additional green wheeled bin for compostable garden waste a green recycling box for glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and cans and a green sack for newspspers, magazines and junkmail. The recycling box and sack are put out weekly and with the black and green bin are collected on alternate weeks.

Why not try to reduce your rubbish?

Here are some ideas we can all try to help us reduce our rubbish,

Stop junk mail being delivered by registering with the Mailing Preference Service, DMA House, 70 Margaret Street, London, W1W 8SS, or telephoning 020 7291 3310.
Put a sign on your front door to stop advertising and free sheets being posted through your letter-box.
Only buy pre-packaged convenience foods when you really need them and use them as a stand-by.
Swap magazines with friends when you have finished with them. Take them to your local dentists' and doctors' waiting rooms (Ask them first!) Fellow patients may be glad of a read while they wait.
If possible mend or repair items of furniture or equipment. Try a lick of paint for a new look.

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The Low Waste Baby

A happy event and a new little person arriving in the home means some sleepless nights, some anxiety, expense and extra waste!!

New parents want the best for their child. You may consider buying good quality second hand baby equipment and selling it on when your child has grown out of it or you may keep it for your next child.

Give your unwanted baby clothes, prams and cots to expectant friends or loan them to them. Infants soon grow out of their first crib and baby-grows.
Consider using a nappy laundering service or wash your own reusable terry nappies. Save your disposable nappies for holiday and long journeys.
Buy fewer baby toiletries, water and mild soap is often sufficient and kinder to babies' skin.
Use a baby hire service for items like sterilizers and travel cots.
Make your own baby food instead of buying jars and tins. Convenience baby foods are invaluable when you are on holiday or travelling.
Your Health Visitor will confirm that breast feeding is best for infants. Its free, instant. No need to sterilize bottles and make up milk formula. Its 99% waste free.

For more information and encouragement contact your NCT Breast Feeding Counsellor.

More about Real Nappies

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Low waste shopper

Shopping provides many opportunities for you to use your purchasing power to chose low waste goods.

Many products can be bought loose, vegetables, fruit, DIY products and stationery.
Buy concentrated products and dilute them to suit you. Seek out products in refillable packs.
Avoid, if possible, cleaning products designed for a specific purpose. Chose a multi-purpose cleaner instead.
Buy products which contain recycled materials such as kitchen roll and toilet tissue. Check labels to find out their recycled content.
Avoid buying more of a product or food than you need.
Consider buying items that have less packaging. Purchase your meat from the butchery department or delicatessen or your local family butcher. Why not try your local fruiterer or green grocer for fruit and vegetables. Shop locally you might enjoy it.
Choose products packaged in recycled materials.
Reuse store carrier bags next time you shop. Find another use for them, they make useful bin liners.

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The Low Waste Kitchen

Waste is not just the packaging we throw away. Many of us waste food which costs us money and has a serious impact on the environment.

Buy in bulk and freeze portions for later use.
Try not to waste prepared food. Make your own rissoles, hash browns or bubble and squeak with left over potatoes and bread crumbs.
Remember to home compost your vegetable peelings.

Not all of the above will suit everybody's lifestyle but if each of tried just a few of them we could dramatically reduce the amount of waste produced.

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Link to the 'Recycle with Michael' scheme

Link to a list of Neighbourhood Recycling Centres in Wrexham County Borough

Link to a list of Household Recycling Centres in Wrexham County Borough

Link to information about waste

Municipal Waste Management Stategy

Request replacement recycling sacks