Cat Cubie calls on Scots to tackle plastics this Recycle Week
Recycle Week, which takes place between 24 - 30 September, is the annual UK-wide campaign to raise awareness of the importance of recycling. Over the course of the week, Zero Waste Scotland will be encouraging people across the country to call time’s up on household plastic bottles, which are often overlooked, and recycle them correctly now.
Cat Cubie, pictured with her son Roar, aged 11 months old, has pledged to recycle the plastic bottles from around the home that are often forgotten – from those that contain shampoo and conditioner, to bubble bath, washing-up liquid, cleaning products and even sauce bottles.
It’s easy to identify all the materials which can be recycled by local collections – simply check your council’s website. Each year, 30,000 tonnes of plastic bottles needlessly end up in landfill, so it’s never been more important to recycle them.
Cat Cubie, ambassador for Recycle Week, said:
“I know as a busy parent with two children, in the past, it would have been all too easy to stick bottles in the rubbish bin and try not to think about it too much. However, it’s clear that we need to act now. Our kids’ future depends on it.
“We can no longer ignore the long-term damage that unrecycled plastic is doing to our environment, our wildlife and our planet. Where plastic is recyclable, we must ensure we make every effort to do so as much as we can. Not just for us but for all future generations.”
Jenny Fraser, Recycling Campaigns Manager, Zero Waste Scotland said:
“Recycle Week is the ideal opportunity to do more to make sure we’re recycling as much as we can. We all use plastic bottles in our daily routines – from shampoo and shower gel, to cleaning products – which can all be widely recycled, and it doesn’t take long to do.
“I know how challenging it can be to find time to sort out the recycling in a busy household, but it’s so important to get it right and include all the correct items that can be recycled in our local area. It takes seconds to recycle a plastic bottle and this helps prevent harm to wildlife, wasting valuable resources and contributing to marine pollution.
“The issue of single use plastics has been well-documented during the last year, and we want to make sure Scots are aware that we need to take action on plastic now. We have seen recycling rates improve across the country but we’re still seeing too many plastic bottles which could easily be recycled end up in landfill unnecessarily.”
Empty and clean plastic bottles can be recycled in every local authority across Scotland. The best way to recycle containers is to make sure they’re empty before giving them a quick rinse. Some examples of bottles from around the home which can be added to the recycling are:
- Olive oil
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Bubble bath
- Cleaning product bottles
- Bleach bottles
To download the toolkit for Recycle Week and play your part please visit:
