Cllr Geoff Jung
Cllr Geoff Jung

One change for one week! Will you help East Devon reach the country’s top recycling spot? 

East Devon is currently ranked 6th in the country for recycling and composting an impressive 60.1 per cent of household waste, according to Defra’s latest figures. 

In a bid to reach the top spot, residents are being asked to participate in Recycling Week 2024 (Monday, 14 October to Sunday, 20 October) and save five ill-fated packaging heroes from the bin, so they can continue their circular life through recycling. 

The condemned containers include Dee Dee the deodorant, Rey the plastic trigger spray, Yogi the yoghurt pot, Fitz the perfume bottle, and the humble Hube – the toilet roll tube. 

The latest Recycle Now research shows that while we’re a nation of recyclers—nine out of ten people regularly recycle—nearly eight out of ten of us (79 per cent) put one or more items in the bin that could have been recycled. 

East Devon District Council (EDDC) will spend the week highlighting your hard work and the small steps we can all take to help East Devon and its residents become the best in the country! 

Councillor Geoff Jung, EDDC’s portfolio holder for coast, country and environment, said:

"In East Devon our residents are brilliant at recycling and reducing waste, with the help of our partners Suez our recycling and waste contractor, East Devon is the number one in England for the least amount of waste per household.

"We ensure that all our waste from our black bins only go to an incinerator to  generate electricity, and all our recycling is sent to accredited operators in the UK and Europe. Nothing goes to landfill.

"But we want to be even better, increasing our recycling, increasing our garden waste collections, and reducing waste even more. We have been around 60 per cent recycling for a few years now, and we want to achieve that magic 65 per cent very soon, so please see if you can just do that little bit more so we can say we are the number one in the country!"

Will you go the extra mile? 

Focus on quality and quantity: Make sure all recyclables are clean, dry, and correctly sorted. This helps reduce contamination and ensures more materials can be reused. 

Green waste bins for compost: Did you know you can have all your green waste collected from your kerbside for £52 a year? Sign up here: Green waste service information. 

Download the East Devon App: Never forget to put your bins out again. Download the app, which will give you reminders, log missed collections, and offer tips on recycling. 

Use the Alexa recycling skill: Just ask Alexa for help with recycling advice—whether it’s about what to recycle, where to recycle it, or when collections are happening. 

What happens to your waste? 

  • Food and garden waste collected in East Devon is turned into compost to nourish local fields. 
  • Materials reborn: Items such as plastics, paper, and glass are transformed into new products, reducing the need for raw materials and supporting the circular economy. 
  • Energy from waste: Non-recyclable waste is converted into energy, helping to power homes across Devon.