With a goal to increase recycling rates in Gloucestershire and help residents do their bit for the environment, Gloucestershire Resources and Waste Partnership is encouraging people in the county to try out its new green initiative 'Waste Wizard', which offers a selection of different recycling and repurposing options for an abundance of home goods.
Whether you're moving home and lacking sufficient space, are unsure of how to correctly dispose of something, or simply no longer need a once-loved possession, SoGlos rounds up eight of the most unusual items you can recycle using 'Waste Wizard'.
Recycle wetsuits
If your old wetsuit has seen better days, a local repair café may be able help with this – from repairing seam stitches, to shortening or tapering arms, you can be back in the water in no time.
Alternatively, if your watersports gear is still in good and functional condition, 'Waste Wizard' recommends donating the garment locally; or popping it in your green refuse bin for recycling.
Recycle pizza boxes
Depending on the condition of your pizza box - greasy, clean, takeaway, or store bought - 'Waste Wizard' can recommend the best way to dispose of your cardboard packaging. Recycling plants reject tonnes of waste each year due to the contamination of grease, so it's important to discard boxes correctly.
Remember, cardboard is 100 per cent degradable, so you can always break them down into smaller pieces and add them to your compost bin!
Recycle books
Unless you're trying to build up your own mini library, you may find you have an excess of books gathering dust on your shelf - but you don't need to toss them out, as they can be reused and treasured by someone new.
After entering your postcode into 'Waste Wizard', the website will notify you of the nearest charity and household recycling centre reuse shops available to take your unwanted books.
Recycle batteries
Do you have dead batteries lying around but are unsure of how to get rid of them? Due to being an environmental and health and safety risk, batteries should never be placed in your refuse bin - instead, they should be disposed of safely and appropriately in a tied plastic bag and placed in your recycling box with the lid closed.
Alternatively, 'Waste Wizard' can recommend nearby locations to recycle household batteries, including supermarkets and recycling centres.
Recycle cameras
With most of us having smartphones with great built-in cameras, standalone cameras have become less prominent, leaving many of us with them tucked away in a cupboard - or maybe broken and put to the side.
'Waste Wizard' recommends either taking your broken electrical equipment to a repair café to be fixed; donating it to a charity shop; taking it to an electrical recycling store; or donating it through the Shutterhub Camera Amnesty project.
Recycle bones
If you're unsure of how to dispose of bones from meat, fish and shellfish, 'Waste Wizard' says you can add them to your food waste disposal caddy, along with any other scraps, instead of sending them to landfill.
Recycle paint
Whether you have leftover paint from a DIY job, or empty paint cans lying around, 'Waste Wizard' provides a comprehensive list of options for disposing of or donating paint.
One great option is to visit the Community Repaint website, which details how to pass on paint via local drop-off points to help those in the community to brighten their spaces and their lives.
Recycle Tetra Paks
Much of the food we buy now comes in Tetra Pak cartons, including everything from milk to chickpeas - but recycling the packaging isn't quite so straightforward. This is due to the fact that the packaging is comprised of wood, aluminium and plastic, meaning they're not easily separated in the recycling process.
'Waste Wizard' recommends taking your Tetra Paks to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre for the most sustainable disposal.
