Woman holding box full of recyclable items.

Recycling

In Northern Ireland we recycle over 50% of our household waste each year.

We have made great strides in the amount of household waste recycled, increasing the percentage from 30% in 2008/09 to over 50% in 2018/19. But there is still more that we can do.

From information on food waste recycling to understanding what can and can’t be recycled in your area, we have you covered.

Chart showing increase in Northern Ireland Local Authority collected recycling rates from 28% in 2006 to over 50% in 2020.

Figures based on the Northern Ireland local authority collected municipal waste management statistics time series dataset https://datavis.nisra.gov.uk/daera/northern-ireland-waste-management-statistics.html#key-indicators

Unsure what items to put in your home recycling or where to recycle a specific item?

The Recycling Locator tells you everything you need to know to ensure that you are never left wondering what bin to put your recyclable items into or where to take items that aren’t collected during normal household collections.

 

Recycling at home

Most of us are very good at recycling at home, but could you be doing more? Check out these blogs for some inspiration on how to take your recycling game to the next level.

Picture showing large domestic appliances in a recycling bin.

Recycling Beyond the Kerb

May 15, 2019 No Comments

Recycling Beyond the Kerb Recyling at Home By now, you’re used to keeping different bins in your house for different kerbside collections. Recycling – TICK,

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10 Things You Didn’t Know About Food Waste Recycling in Northern Ireland

5 Food Waste Myths Busted

May 20, 2019 No Comments

5 Food Waste Myths Busted 1. It’s messy! False! To replace the ‘ick’ with ‘slick’ and make recycling banana peelings more ap-pealing (ahem) you should:

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Household Recycling Centres

Many items that you cannot put in your recycling bins or kerbside boxes can still be recycled at your local Household Recycling Centre.

Read the blogs below for information on how to make the most of the local recycling resources available to you.

Visit local councils in Northern Ireland to find out more about the recycling services and facilities in your area.

Recycling hard to recycle items

Recycling has come a long way in the past 20 years but there are still lots of hard to recycle items that aren’t yet recycled by local authorities in Northern Ireland, such as crisp packets, bread bags, cheese, and confectionery packaging.

This is where organisations such as TerraCycle can help. TerraCycle offers free recycling programmes funded by environmentally conscientious brands, manufacturers, and retailers around the world to help you collect and recycle your hard-to-recycle waste.

TerraCycle currently operates over 50 programmes across the UK for hard to recycle items, assisted by an army of volunteers. These programmes cover everything from writing equipment to PPE, and much more in between.

Many of these programmes reward you with TerraCycle points which are then redeemable for a cash payment to the non-profit organisation or school of your choice, product bundles, collection materials, and other charitable gifts.

Take a look at the programmes TerraCycle offers to see if they are running in your area and to find your nearest drop-off location. Or even better, why not set one up yourself.

More useful links

  • Waste – DAERA – learn more about waste strategy, regulations and legislation in Northern Ireland.
  • Waste and Recycling – NIDirect – information on waste, recycling, bin collection, and disposal of unusual or hazardous waste in Northern Ireland.
  • Recycle Now – all you need to know about recycling in your local area.