Can I recycle it?
Submitted by: Adam Temple
Describe your idea. How does it work and who does it help?
Very simply, I envisage a website that allows the user to input their postcode, and which would then help them to know what they can recycle.
Each area has a different scheme, with different recycling capabilities, so it is not surprising that households are unsure what can be recycled. Local information may be of some use, but there are a million and one things that people want to know what to recycle.
Having put in their postcode, the householder would get an easy-to-read version of what is recyclable and what is not, in their area. After that, they could type in keywords for the specific piece of rubbish that they are concerned about. If it is in the database, the householder would get an immediate answer. If not, the question could be forwarded to the appropriate person in the local council - based on the postcode. That person could then amend the database, and that way the website would gradually get more useful.
What information or services do you need?
Postcodes
Areas covered by local councils
Lists of goods that can be recycled in each council
Contact details of recycling officers in each council
Posted by David Hawdale on 09 February 2009 at 04:39 PM
http://www.recyclelocal.co.uk repackages the recyclenow data into a more usable form to provide the service described here. The problem we have discovered with this is that the data is both inaccurate and overly complex.
I think the way to increase the quality of the data this is to allow members of the public to revise and update it. I think that 'recycling officer' both patronises and underestimates the ability of the British public if he thinks they cannot do this. The British public spends many hours dividing up rubbish and trailing it down the recycle bins. They care. And if they care, they will be motivated to make the data right for others, if it is made easy to do.
Is more money for recyclenow the answer? No, in my opinion. Better engage the British public to do the job with accuracy.
Posted by Alex on 08 January 2009 at 01:17 AM
Keep up the good work ...
Anything that can help improve the rate of recyclability is a positive. Educating people to change their habits does take time but in the longer term the effects are quite amazing.
Figures from Australia ...
Despite the apparent sizeable increase in the amount of solid waste being generated, the overall trend is towards reduced landfilling and increased recycling of waste. An estimated 19% less solid waste was buried as landfill in Australia (excluding Tasmania and the Northern Territory) during 2002–03 (17 million tonnes) than during 1996–97 (21 million tonnes). This was accompanied by a strong increase in the amount of solid waste recycled, from an estimated 80 kilograms per person during 1996–97 to 759 kilograms per person during 2002–03. (Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics 4102.0 - Australian Social Trends, 2007)
It will be interesting to review these figures on a nation by nation basis
Posted by a recycling officer on 24 November 2008 at 02:51 PM
As anyone working in this sector will attest, if the public were able to update the information on the website I'm afraid it would be inaccurate as people tend to be over-optimistic about what can be accepted in recycling banks (e.g. with the case of plastic).
The Recycle Now site relies on local authority officers to flag up when their information changes, and usually they are reminded to do this perhaps once a year. Maybe they could be reminded to do it a bit more often with a special ezine just for recycling officers?
Really pleased to see that Recycle Now is going to get more investment - quite ironic really as WRAP's budget was cut massively last year!
Posted by Peter on 20 November 2008 at 09:54 AM
Looks like recycling is well represented already/now.
In case anyone is interested in the opportunities presented by reuse, you may fancy trying http://www.junkk.com
It also sports a postcode location and matchmaking facility, which can be useful with its FreeCycle-style facility JunkkYard: http://www.junkk.com/junkkbrowse.asp?slevel=0z1054z1077&parent_id=1077
And if any are keen to see how this genre has developed, there is a summary here: http://junkk.blogspot.com/2007/10/reuse-exchange-sites.html
Posted by Mark on 13 November 2008 at 02:56 PM
I just tried the recyclenow website for my home postcode - the info it gave for my two nearest recycling centres was inaccurate. I know that both take items like cardboard and plastic bottles, which were not mentioned on recyclenow. If other people have the same experience then it points to the need to keep the information up-to-date. Why not allow the public to post updates? If the 'Can I Recycle it?' website had better info than recyclenow then it is worth funding.
Posted by Nick Holmes on 12 November 2008 at 03:41 PM
Tis true that http://www.recyclenow.com/ does the business, though it could be improved upon substantially. It has an annoying two-tier structure with what you can put on the kerbside on the main page, but for all the other stuff you need to click a link on the second page. Most people know what they can put on the kerbside; it's the other stuff they're unsure about. Far better to put all up front all in one table. And the site seems to avoid mention of plastics which is the most vexed question.
So how does it maintain the data? It's probably not a huge task, but clearly if councils published this information a uniform way, then innovation would reign.
Posted by Gregor on 12 November 2008 at 11:00 AM
Indeed, I already use http://www.sort-it.org.uk/cap.asp?AuthID=99&CatID=24 which does all of these things, including letting you choose an item and it will show you the places within a ten mile radius where you can take it.
Posted by Alison on 11 November 2008 at 04:11 PM
Done Already!! Find out what you can recycle and where, at RecycleNow
Posted by Ben on 11 November 2008 at 09:40 AM
Good idea, but have you seen www.recyclenow.com? That does exactly what you are describing.
Posted by Matthew Cunliffe on 11 November 2008 at 09:26 AM
This has already been done at:
http://www.recyclenow.com/
Posted by Matt on 18 July 2008 at 11:48 AM
This service should also offer an answer to "Where's the nearest place I can recycle this item?"