Recycling and Reuse

The world as a whole is using up its available materials – minerals, water and energy – faster than the earth can cope with. Recycling reduces the use of these elements and reduces the damage that extracting new materials does to the environment, through pollution of rivers, oceans and the atmosphere.

Waste which is not recycled is burnt or buried, which is generally much more expensive than recycling and pushes up the Council Tax. Our area is doing relatively well with recycling, but what we burn or bury still contains a lot of material that could have been recycled. So there is scope to do better.

Helmdon’s Parish Recycling Warden

The Recycling Warden’s role:

• to provide support for individuals who are uncertain about how to recycle a wide range of items;
• to liaise with West Northants Council and the Northampton Waste Partnership to identify problems with recycling services, raise awareness of recycling campaigns and changes to recycling services;
• to engage with local residents to encourage more recycling.

Helmdon’s Recycling Warden is Cllr. Billie Minshall, so if you have any questions or comments, please contact her at billieminshall@helmdonparishcouncil.gov.uk.

What goes into each bin

What goes into each bin is detailed here (westnorthants.gov.uk website)

To register (each year) for green waste collection please complete form at https://forms.westnorthants.gov.uk/xfp/form/382

Some items should NOT be put into your blue recycling bin:

1. Till receipts, ATM receipts and similar documents are often printed on thermal paper. Thermal paper has a special coating and chemicals from this coating can contaminate recycled paper. Also, burning thermal paper can release unpleasant chemicals into the atmosphere.
   It may be best NOT to recycle or burn thermal paper. This is a complicated subject but you could look at (for example)
   https://wastelandrebel.com/en/why-you-shouldnt-recycle-receipts/
2. Carrier bags (these should be returned to store for recycling)
3. Wrappers (check labels, many can be returned to store for recycling)

Craft Materials and Equipment for Reuse

Orinoco Scrapstore accept unwanted materials and previously used craft equipment. They are based in the old Post Office building on Banbury High Street and also have a store in Cowley.

Furniture for Reuse

Several charities collect furniture and domestic electrical items for reuse, for example:

British Heart Foundation Banbury

Salvation Army Swan lane, Banbury

Scope  55-57 Abington Street, Northmpton.

Electrical and other recycling

There are Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC), commonly called tips, at Farthinghoe and Towcester. These take a wide range of materials for recycling (see links below) and also have facilities to make some items available for reuse which is an even better option.

• Towcester HWRC
• Farthinghoe Recycling Centre

For more information about recycling centres for electrical items please see www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk