Summary of recycling opportunities in Mole Valley.
We can all recycle via the green wheelie bin collections:
- glass, paper and card, cans (steel and aluminium), plastic bottles
We can use the small green caddies to collect:
We have the option of paying extra for:
At the bring sites and Community Recycling Centres there are facilities for collecting:
- aluminium foil, batteries, sometimes tetrapaks, clothing and shoes, books, CDs and DVDs
The Surrey Reuse Network takes and sells on:
- Furniture, domestic goods and appliances
At St Nicolas Church, in Great Bookham, they collect and redistribute:
- plastic mailing wrappers (remove any paper labels please)
- plastic milk bottle tops (from supermarket milk)
- postage stamps, spectacles, binoculars, mobile phones, empty printer cartridges
For special or bulky waste collection see here
Other ideas:
Many charities will take your old mobile phones and printer cartridges to raise funds, and bubble wrap and bags (for re-use), in addition to everything else you expect - find out if your favourite cause collects them.
The British Red Cross recycle items via Recycling Appeal.
Several local opticians reuse old spectacles - just ask them. Vision Aid Overseas (01293 535 016) accepts prescription glasses via opticians.
Many supermarkets recycle plastic bags, if you use vending cups, check out Save a Cup.
Remember jumble and nearly new sales.
Use rechargeable batteries.
Think about the Freecycle network (Mole Valley Freecycle), for disposing of unwanted items to other people who could use them.
Workaid collects old tools (there is a collection point in Leatherhead, contact us for more details). As does Tools for Self Reliance (their tools are refurbished to a higher standard), along with Singer sewing machines (hand or treadle, round bobbin only), and they also provide the appropriate training to local organisations in Africa. Their local contact is Hugh Baker, of Compost Works, 'phone 01372 376 642 or email hbaker@compostworks.org.uk.
Compost more - newspaper and "rough" card can be torn up and composted in the garden heap. Fetcham based Compost Works, is a not-for-profit environmental organisation, promoting more and better composting in Mole Valley.
If you wish to opt out of receiving unaddressed mail delivered by Royal Mail, send or email your name and address to them (you'll receive an opt-out form which you must sign and return):
Freepost RRBT-ZBXB-TTTS
Royal Mail Door to Door Opt Outs
Kingsmead House
Oxpens Road
Oxford
OX1 1RX
Register with the Mailing Preference Service (AKA Your Choice Preference Scheme), run by the Direct Marketing Association, to stop getting junk mail:
Your Choice Preference Scheme
Direct Marketing Association (UK) Ltd
DMA House
70 Margaret Street
London W1W 8SS
Telephone: 020 7291 3300/0845 703 4599
Fax: 020 7323 4165
email: yourchoice@dma.org.uk
For details on all other preference services click here, and take a look at Junk Buster, which opts you out of several things at once.
Don't forget that while recycling is useful, the most important actions are to Reduce what you use/buy, Reuse it whenever possible, Repair... and only then Recycle.
- The local groups page has a whole section on recycling in our area
- RecycleThis is a web site packed with ideas on how to re-use all sorts of things. Post your own requests and suggestions
- RecycleNow is the government's main site with loads of tips and info - including directory of what you can recycle near to you.
Margaret Hibbert (Updated by richardm, June 2011)