Suffolk joins national campaign to boost recycling rates

Why it matters: Proper recycling helps conserve resources, reduce environmental impact, and save taxpayer money. Despite high recycling rates in Suffolk, over 58% of rubbish bin contents could still be recycled or composted.

The big picture: Recycle Week, now in its 21st year, is the UK's largest recycling campaign. This year's theme, "Rescue Me - Recycle", highlights commonly missed recyclable items. The campaign runs from 14 to 20 October and focuses on increasing the recycling of deodorant cans, plastic trigger sprays, yoghurt pots, and toilet roll tubes.

By the numbers:

• 9 out of 10 people in the UK regularly recycle

• Nearly 8 out of 10 (79%) put at least one recyclable item in the rubbish bin

What they're saying:

• Councillor Phil Smart, Chair of the Suffolk Waste Partnership: "Recycling not only helps protect our beautiful county but it helps save the Suffolk taxpayer money too. Throwing old packaging into the rubbish bin is more costly than recycling it."

• Craig Stephens, Senior Campaign Manager for Recycle Now: "Most people are recycling, and the material we capture has a multitude of uses, so the next step is to ensure everyone captures everything they can."

How it works: The campaign features four "packaging hero" characters representing commonly missed recyclable items:

1. Dee Dee the deodorant

2. Rey the plastic trigger spray

3. Yogi the yoghurt pot

4. Hube the toilet roll tube

These characters will appear on recycling trucks, in school education packs, and on social media to raise awareness.

What's next: Throughout Recycle Week, the Suffolk Waste Partnership will share information on social media about:

• What can be recycled in Suffolk's bins

• How recycled materials are processed

• Where recycled materials are sent to become new products

How to get involved:

• Follow the campaign on social media using #RescueMeRecycle and #RecycleWeek

• Check what can be recycled in your area at www.recyclenow.com

• Visit www.suffolkrecycling.org.uk for local recycling information