Site staff can help you spring clean

It's springtime - so get recycling

Spring is upon us, which means it's time for the annual spring clean and clear-out.

Which means that it's also an ideal time to recycle what you no longer need.

And it all links in with the first day of the summer timetable of opening hours at the County Council's Recycling Centres - giving householders extra time to avoid the rush as everyone brushes up for a fresh start to the year at home and in the garden.          

Opening hours now extend until 6pm during the weekdays creating an extra hour and a half of clutter busting opportunity in the evening. At the weekends you get an extra 30 minutes too - until 5pm.

We tend to be a nation of hoarders, with the average room containing a staggering 40 per cent clutter.

Staffordshire's Recycling Champion Councillor John Wakefield said the extra opening hours also helped the Council meet the needs of the whole community.

He said: "By extending the hours, with more daylight to play with, we can absorb the impact of increased recycling energy across the whole day. Of course with the spring rush their can be a queue at times, but extra time means spreading the load.

"We want everyone to make the most of our household recycling centres, helping you turn unwanted waste into useful resources. Waste isn't waste, it's just good stuff in the wrong place.

"Spring is all about rebirth - and that's exactly what recycling is about. Get involved in the Staffordshire's recycling revolution," he said.

Staffordshire's household recycling centres recycle a wide range of materials: textiles, washing machines and fridge-freezers, furniture and wood, glass bottles and jars, cardboard and metal cans, old bikes, TVs and electrical goods, motor oil, paper and much more.

Here are the Top 10 spring clean tips:

·          get two large coloured bags - use one to put items that can be recycled in and the other for things that can be donated to a charity shop

·          use cardboard boxes and plastic crates for temporary storage

·          know what things can be recycled - books, newspapers and magazines, junk mail, old bills and letters, furniture, unused paint and clothes are just some of the items that can be transformed.

·          set aside dedicated time with no interruptions and no-one else in the house

·          stock up with food so you don't need to break off to run to the shops

·          put on your favourite music

·          start with one room and clear the floor first

·          then move clutter in your cupboards, on top of cabinets, on top of/around fireplaces, on shelves, window ledges and on walls

·          don't throw away old cupboards and units as wood can be used again - your local recycling centre is likely to have a wood collection point.

·          unwanted furniture may be able to go to another good home such as the Staffordshire Furniture Reuse Network based in Burton, Rugeley, Stafford and Stoke.

·          surplus paint can be re-used. Stoke on Trent Community Re>Paint diverts and redistributes it to community groups, charities and voluntary organisations. For further information, check out their web site www.communityrepaint.org.uk.

Page Last Modified: 30/01/2007 16:05:22

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