Now in its twentieth year, Recycle Week is the nation’s biggest annual celebration of recycling.

Activities and initiatives are taking place across Dudley and Sandwell as part of Recycle Week. The two borough's have slightly different waste and recycling plans in place, but both are supporting this initiative.

In Sandwell, residents are being encouraged to recycle as much as possible and use the grey household waste bin less. Sandwell Council and waste partner Serco are asking residents to ‘Slim Your Bin’ with five simple steps which will reduce the amount of rubbish that ends up in the household waste bin.

• The first is to recycle as much as possible in the blue-lid recycling bin. A lot of everyday items can be placed in the blue-lid recycling bin, such as plastic bottles and tubs, glass bottles and jars, drink cans and tins plus paper and card. Recyclable items often overlooked are aerosols, foil, shampoo bottles and cleaning spray bottles.
• The second step is to reduce the amount of edible food waste thrown away and use the food waste bin for any unavoidable food waste which is collected for free every week. Residents who don’t currently receive free weekly food waste collections can sign up online. The food waste is used to generate energy and turned into compost.
• The third tip is to pass on unwanted items that are still in good condition, which will prevent them being thrown away in the bin. Online marketplaces, car boot sales and local charity shops are just a few of the ways reusable items can be offered to others. Residents who have large items in good condition can get in touch with our charity partner, CT Furniture, who can collect items free of charge to sell on to others.
• Step four is to make use of the recycling facilities at the tip. There are many things that can be recycled at the tip in Oldbury, including electricals, carpets, clothing, wood, batteries, light bulbs and sheet glass.
• Finally, the garden waste collection service offers a kerbside collection of green waste. The service carries a £35 charge and subscriptions for 2024 will open soon. The waste collected in the green bin is turned into compost.

Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways, Councillor Danny Millard, said: “Recycling is now firmly on the national agenda and people have become more aware of what they use and the impact it has on the environment.

“Recycling really matters and makes a big difference on reducing the amount of raw materials needed to make new products.

“We want to highlight the benefits of recycling the right items and encourage residents to check that they are recycling and reusing all that they can. “I do hope people will take up the Slim Your Bin challenge during Recycling Week and think about the waste they create and how they can reduce it for the benefit of our environment.”

Residents are invited to come along to locations across the borough during Recycle Week where advisors will be available for residents to ask questions about waste and recycling. They will be at the following locations on the below dates and times:

• Monday - New Square Shopping Centre, West Bromwich, B70 7PR at 10-3pm
• Tuesday - Oldbury Library, Sandwell Council House, Freeth Street, B69 3DE at 10-3pm
• Wednesday - Brasshouse Lane Community Centre, Brasshouse Lane, B66 1BA at 10-3pm
• Thursday – Morrisons, Wednesbury at 10-3pm
• Friday - Bangladeshi Women’s Association, Wellington Road, Tipton, DY4 8RS at 10-1pm

Residents can follow Sandwell Council Facebook, Twitter and Instagram during the week for recycling reminders, plus a live Q&A session will be held on Facebook on Thursday 19 October at 11am. Residents are encouraged to ask the team questions on what and can’t be recycled. Residents can also test their recycling knowledge with our Slim Your Bin Quiz More information on waste and recycling in Sandwell can be found at:

In Dudley, the council are launching a mission with Recycle Now primary school children with the arrival of: The Big Recycling Hunt. "The Big Recycling Hunt", the central theme of this year's campaign, promises to shine a bright spotlight on "missed capture."

This nationwide hunt aims to engage children and families in the quest to find 'lost recyclables' that too often find their way into the rubbish bin.

By focusing on commonly missed items such as empty aerosols, plastic cleaning product bottles, plastic toiletry bottles, plastic pots and tubs, and food tins, Recycle Now wants to foster a deeper understanding of recycling in the younger generation.

Local primary schools have been invited to take part in a competition to design an advert to encourage adults to recycle.  In Dudley, the winning design will go in the spring edition of Dudley Council’s Your Borough Your Home magazine.

There will also be Recycle Week online composting webinars.

Dudley Council house will also be lit up green for Recycle Week.

Top tips for recycling in Dudley borough:

• Whether it’s a curry, noodles or a shepherd’s pie, recycle more clear takeaway food trays. In 2022/23 the council recycled over 100 tonnes of clear food trays.
• Recycle bathroom plastics including shampoo, conditioner and shower gel bottles as well as bleach and bathroom cleaners. In 2022/23 they recycled over 1400 tonnes of mixed plastic bottles

Councillor Dr Rob Clinton, cabinet member for climate change, said: “The importance of this initiative extends beyond Recycle Week. By empowering children with the knowledge and tools to become recycling advocates, we are not only nurturing the future but also ensuring a healthier and more sustainable world for all.”

Councillor Damian Corfield, cabinet member for highways and environmental services, said: “By recycling even better we can have a big impact on our environment. More and more people are recycling, so the next step is to make sure we hunt down these missed items and get our recycling right.”

Recycling doesn’t have to be confusing. To find out what can be recycled in your area, use Recycle Now’s Recycling Locator.