Recycling Rangers

Welcome to Recycling Rangers!

This is the place to learn about rubbish and recycling whilst having fun!

What is rubbish?

Rubbish or refuse is anything that you don't want anymore, but what is considered rubbish to one person, may not be considered to be rubbish by someone else.

Although everyone may produce different types and quantities of rubbish, one thing that is universally true is that everyone produces rubbish every day. Rubbish is made at home and school or anywhere people work or travel and the amount people produce is increasing.

What happens to the rubbish we produce?

If rubbish is not re-used or recycled then it normally gets tipped into landfill. Landfill is a huge rubbish pit in the ground, but space is running out and we need to find other ways of dealing with our waste.

How can we stop the amount of rubbish going to landfill?

Firstly, we need to reduce the amount of things we buy in the first place, so there is less rubbish to throw away.

Secondly we can see if any of our rubbish can be re-used. For example, many charity shops will take items such as clothes and toys so they can be used by somebody else.

Thirdly, we can make sure we recycle as much rubbish as possible. Recycling means that the rubbish is taken to a large facility and made into new items. Nowadays most of the rubbish that is thrown away can either be re-used or recycled.

What happens to my rubbish?

Rochford District Council provides every household with a grey bin, a green and yellow bin and a purple lidded bin.

The grey bin is for recyclables, that means that the rubbish in this bin is recycled and made into new items. The types of things that can be put into this bin for recycling are plastic bottles and containers, glass jars and bottles, drink cans and food tins, cardboard and paper.

The green and yellow bin is for food and garden rubbish, this is sent to a large facility to be composted. Composting is when organic materials (such as food or garden materials) are broken down by organisms such as bacteria, insects, fungi and small animals. So things such as leftover food from your dinner plate and grass cuttings from the garden can be put into this bin. This type of rubbish is made into compost, which gardeners use to improve the soil, which is good for growing plants.

The purple lidded bin is for everything else that cannot currently be recycled or composted, like crisp packets and biscuit wrappers. The rubbish from this bin goes into landfill, so it is important that we try to put as little material as possible into this bin.