Council marks Recycle Week by thanking residents for their support

This Recycle Week (21-28 September 2020), Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is thanking the residents of the district for their continued support in helping the Council meet its recycling targets.

Speaking about Recycle Week, Chairman of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Chris Smyth said;

“this year has been an extremely difficult one in terms of the delivery of Council services with the unprecedented challenges which the Covid-19 pandemic has presented.

“However, I have been greatly encouraged by the positive manner in which our residents have responded to the challenge, particularly in regard to their commitment to continue to recycle as much as possible.  Indeed, recent statistics released by Recycle Now show that through lockdown, we have become even more environmentally aware, with nearly 9 in 10 households saying they ‘regularly recycle’. As we emerge from lockdown into recovery, more people are prepared to change their lifestyles to help the environment. This is something we can all do – a small individual action that, when performed collectively can add up to a significant change.

“On behalf of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, I would like to thank the residents of the district for their continued commitment to recycling as much material as possible, thereby reducing the amount of waste transported to landfill and reducing our carbon footprint.

“I would also like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the Council’s refuse collection and disposal teams who continued to deliver this critical service with the minimum of disruption under the most difficult of circumstances over the last number of months . The recognition they received in the form of friendly waves, notes, cards and gifts left out for them by residents shows how much the residents of the district appreciated their efforts.”

While the residents of the Fermanagh and Omagh district have already clearly demonstrated their commitment to recycling and that they care about the environment –   there are some simple things that we can all do to make our recycling even better.

• Reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by selecting products that are using recyclable packaging where possible.
• All recyclable material including paper, cardboard, mixed plastics, tins, cans, tetra pak and glass must be placed in your blue recycling bin.
• Glass must be placed in the blue recycling bin or brought to your local bottle bank.
• Remember your bathroom is full of recyclable material including shampoo, conditioner and soap bottles, cleaning and bleach bottles, and toilet rolls. All these must be recycled in your blue recycling bin.

Remember all items placed in the blue recycling bin must be “Clean, Dry and Loose”
Food waste must be disposed of in your brown bin or food waste caddy. It is then brought to a compost processing facility or used to produce electricity.

What and how we recycle really matters. Recycling an item rather than throwing it in the general rubbish bin means that it will be dealt with in the most environmentally-friendly way, keeping materials in use and out of the environment.

To find out more about recycling or if you’re unsure about how to recycle a specific item, remember to download the Council’s “Binovation app”, check the Recycle Now Recycling Locator at www.recyclenow.org.uk  or contact the Council’s Recycling Officer on 0300 303 1777.