You may recall that in our January issue of T&PR eNEWS and in our Spring Paper Newsletter, we explained what could be recycled via the Council’s bi-weekly bin collections. Whilst a lot of plastics can be recycled other items such as crisp packets, plastic bread bags and biscuit wrappers had to go in the general rubbish bin.

Now, thanks to local resident Catherine Banks, this has changed, and a lot of these items can be redirected from land fill and incineration to be both recycled and raise money for charity.

Catherine acts as a local collection point for Terracycle, a multinational company that specialises in recycling  those mainly plastic items not generally recycled. In return for collecting a sorting such materials she receives a payment from them which she donates to charity.

She has already raised over £5,000 and has made charitable donations to the Tadworth, Kingswood Walton & Burgh Heath Litter pickers (we really need to abbreviate them to TKW&BH Litter Pickers!) and Beacon Friends’ Association but mainly, she supports the Alzheimer’s Society who have supported some of her relatives who have suffered from dementia.

Working out what can be recycled can be quite a complicated process because Terracycle work with various industries who help sponsor the recycle process. Catherine has published a comprehensive list which is available here but suggests people get started by collecting anything connected to bakery or biscuit products (such as bread bags and biscuit wrappers) and once you get started extend your recycling skills over time. She asks that items should be kept loose and not tied as this jams the machinery used to process them. Just flatten them out and store in something recyclable such as a bread bag.

There are two collection points in our area where you will find a marked Tadworth Terracycle wheelie bin available between 8am to 8pm:

36 Bidhams Crescent, Tadworth, KT20 5HF

65 Tattenham Grove Epsom Downs, KT18 5QT

To find out more visit Catherine’s Facebook page tadworthterracycle. And if you have any specific enquiries, you can message her at this address.

So far Catherine has recycled over 3,500 kilos of previously landfill waste. See if you can help her by checking your own waste and dropping off anything suitable to one of the two locations above.

You can also find out more about what can be recycled by visiting the Terracycle website.