Recycle Week: Don't bin us!

Recycle Week is from 22 to 28 September 2025. It's the 22nd year of Recycle Week and this year's campaign is 'Rescue Me! Recycle'.

The campaign is about reminding people to recycle more items instead of throwing them away. Things that can go in your recycling bin that some people don't know about are:

• shampoo bottles
• aerosol cans
• spray bottles
• kitchen foil
• toilet roll tubes
• yoghurt pots

Glass perfume and aftershave bottles can go in bottle banks along with jam jars and wine bottles.

Some other items can go to the re3 centre in Island Road. These include textiles, coffee pods and light bulbs. You can download the Scrapp app on your phone. Put in your address and search for items to see where to recycle them.

Karen Rowland, Lead Councillor for Environmental Services said:

“To mark national Recycling Week we are listing the most common items that could and should be recycled. We know that too many plastic shampoo and trigger spray bottles, yoghurt pots, aerosol cans and toilet roll tubes are still ending up in the bin when they can be put just as easily in your mixed recycling. Our ask of residents is to please put them in the right place and recycle more of these items.

We’re making good progress in recycling in Reading, which now stands at more than 50%, but by rescuing those missed items, we can improve on that figure significantly.”

Catherine David, CEO of WRAP said:

“Recycle Week continues to be a powerful moment to inspire action across the UK, and this year’s ‘Rescue Me! Recycle’ campaign is no exception. By highlighting everyday items like shampoo bottles and foil — things we often overlook — we’re helping people see the real impact of small changes. Thanks to innovation and collaboration, more of these items can now be recycled than ever before.

“Together with local authorities and communities, we’re making it easier to do the right thing and keep valuable materials in use. Let’s rescue these items from the rubbish and give them a second life.”

Find out more about Recycle Week.