Oxford is my world Your – Guide to saving the planet!
- Recycling
Compliant 
RECYCLING
At present the UK is the third most wasteful country in the EU, with each of us generating about 0.5 tonnes of waste each year. Plus when we throw things away that could either be recycled or re-used we are wasting the energy needed to manufacture their replacements.
In 2005/2006 Oxford City recycled only 19% of its waste, meaning 81% went to landfill where it released harmful greenhouse gases. However a new recycling scheme has been introduced and, with the public's support, Oxford's City Council is aiming to increase the City's recycling rate to over 40%.
Even this rate leave room for improvement - Austria currently recycles 60% of its waste!
Very Easy
- - Reduce the amount of rubbish going into your non-recycling bins by thinking carefully about the amount of extra packaging and carrier bags you bring home from the shops.
- - Take surplus clothes, shoes and books to charity shops or put them in special recycling bins found in supermarket and other car parks.
- - Emmaus Oxford will collect unwanted furniture and donate it to low-income households.
- - Register for the Mailing Preference Service to reduce the amount of junk mail that you receive. They can remove your name from up to 95% of Direct Mailing lists.
- - You can get a number of recycling containers to suit your property from Oxford City Council, including green boxes (for newspapers, magazines, office paper and glass), blue boxes or bins (for paper unsuitable for the green box, plastic bottles, cans and card) and garden waste sacks.
- - If you buy a drink when you're out in Oxford, look out for the special can and plastic bottle recycling litter bins.
- - Sign up to Scoodi for free stuff in Oxford. You can give away practically anything, find second hand things and even sell stuff you don’t need, all within your local community.
Fairly Easy
- - Sign up to the Oxford Freecycle network. You can give away all sorts of unwanted items and be notified about stuff people are giving away in the local area.
- - Reduce the potentially smelly biodegradable waste going into your rubbish bin, buy a Home Composter for as little as £8.
- - Make money from your old computer (and prevent it going into landfill): advertise it on Daily Info's Computers For Sale/Wanted page or put it on Oxford Scoodi.
- - Computers for Charity collect old computers from individuals and businesses for refurbishment and sell them at low prices to community groups. Oxfam also accept old computers, which they refurbish and sell to raise funds.
- - Sell your unwanted household items, including bikes, kitchen items and DVDs, for free in Oxford circular Daily Information. It has a readership of over 10,000 daily and doesn't charge for a basic advert.
- - Ensure your old paints, garden tools and scrap materials get another use by giving them to the Orinoco Scrapstore. Orinoco will find them a new home or give them away to community art projects.
- - Order your free ‘Waste Reduction Pack’ and re-useable cotton bag, from Oxfordshire County Council. It contains advice on how to reduce your junk mail and other waste.
- - Try to re-use your plastic bottles, as they are fairly energy intensive to recycle. They make good bird feeders or you can use them in your garden to plant seedlings or protect young plants.
- - Buy fresh food from a local market where they use less plastic and more biodegradable packaging such as paper bags, which can go in your compost.
- - Give your old mobile phones and printer cartridges to charities such as Oxfam. The Midcounties Co-operative supermarkets and pharmacies give away freepost recycling envelopes.
- - Take excess recycling to Oxford City Council bring bank sites.
- - Visit Redbridge Waste Recycling Centre to recycle TVs, computers, batteries, other plastics, hand tools and paint. Or consult Recycle More to find details of other local Recycling Centres.
- - If you're out and about but can't find a nearby recycling bank, try to take rubbish home to recycle.
- - Using washable nappies reduces the amount of disposables going to landfill. Find out more about using washable nappies by contacting the Real Nappy Campaign or Oxfordshire County Council's Waste Management Department.
- - If you hate waste, why not join a Community Action Group (CAG) and get a taste of environmental action in your neighbourhood. There are now 18 CAGs in Oxfordshire.
- - The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) trains and enables businesses, schools and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and recycle more things more often.
- - If your household would like to stop receiving un-addressed mail (door drops) you can ‘opt-out’ by contacting Royal Mail and requesting an opt-out form to be sent to your home address.
Not Quite So Easy
- - Start your own waste reduction group in your community, school or workplace, with the help of Oxfordshire County Council.
- - If you have registered for the Mailing Preference Service but are still receiving marketing mail, you can complain to the Direct Marketing Association.
- - Car and non-rechargeable household batteries can be recycled at Redbridge Waste Recycling Centre.
- - Set up recycling points at your work with the help of Oxfordshire County Council's waste management team.
- - Become an Oxford City Council “Recycling Champion” and help your community make the best use of their kerbside collections.
- - If you're wondering whether something can be recycled or not visit Recycle Now. They list awkward or unusual items and how you can recycle or reuse them. To
- - Recycle low energy and other light bulbs by taking them to Redbridge Waste Recycling Centre.
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