From April 2008, every home in Rutland will have recycling collected from the kerbside. These recycling collections will accept paper, cardboard, tins and cans, glass and
plastic bottles.

Useful Tips:
* Keep your recycling bin next to your normal bin so that you take the recycling out at the same time as the normal waste.

* Make recycling part of your weekly trip to the supermarket. When going to fetch your shopping, visit the recycling bank with any excess recycling that is not accepted in the kerbside collection.

* Some things will need to be washed before putting out for recycling (such as tins and cans). Use your old washing up water to do this.

* Every household will receive a collection calendar in March. Make sure you keep this and display it in a prominent place in your kitchen, such as on the fridge.

Not everything that you can recycle is accepted by the kersbide collection. Rutland County Council has taken the decision to collect the 'big five' - paper, cardboard, glass, tins and cans, and plastic bottles.

But you'll need to visit one of the local recycling sites or civic amenity sites if you want to recycle your textiles, wood and timber, scrap metal, or goods such as fridges and freezers.

Use our recycling bank locater to find out where your nearest recycling sites are and what materials they accept.

Did you know that waste disposal costs can be up to 5% of your companies’ annual turnover? It therefore makes sense to start looking at ways of reducing that cost and recycling is certainly the way forward.

There are many schemes on offer than can convert your waste into cash, and you help the environment
in the process.

Think about the type of waste you produce at work and then look at reducing it by reusing and recycling.

Useful Tips:
* Only print documents and emails when you really need to - read everything else on screen.

* Print double sided where possible

* Re-use any scrap paper that you accumulate for notes

* Have a paper recycling bin right by your desk for easy separation

* Save on plastic cups - get your own personal real mug, a cuppa always taste better that way.

* Recycle any aluminium drinks cans from vending machines. Why not put the recycling can bin next to the machine so you can recycle your old can when you purchase the new one.

With 17 primary schools in Rutland and three secondary colleges, a 'green' way of thinking will have a considerable impact. Many schools are already going down this route and that's good news as the 10 and
11 year olds of today, are the adults of tomorrow.

Useful Tips:
* All schools produce paper and card waste and there are easy steps to reducing that waste such as using both sides of the paper, setting up a separate bin for paper waste in the class room; and encouraging your school to buy recycled paper products.

* Aluminium is an amazing, versatile metal – which means it’s really valuable and can be recycled easily.
Why not set up a separate collection bin for drinks cans and find out where your nearest cash for cans centre is using www.cashforcans.co.uk; and make money for your school.

* There are many schemes out there that will collect old cartridges and phones and actually give you
money in return or donate funds raised to charity. The RecyCool programme is a great scheme for schools.

* Avoid taking your lunch to school in a plastic bag. Go for a re-usable airtight container – a lunchbox or
an old ice cream tub; and why not take a flask or screw-top plastic bottle you can use again.

* Don’t wrap food in clingfilm. Go for aluminium foil, which can be recycled when you’ve finished with it; and fruit and veg are really good for you – and the leftovers can be composted at school or at home.