As a result, Oxfordshire County Council is temporarily limiting the number of these items it can accept at its household waste recycling centres (HWRCs).

The council has written to government to ask for action to be taken.

Residents booking a fridge or freezer slot will see the daily availability online up to one week in advance, rather than the normal two-week window. Other materials and HWRC bookings are not impacted by this.

Households will be limited to one fridge or freezer booking every three months, although they can bring up to two of these items with each booking.

The council has also asked Oxfordshire’s district and city councils to make similar temporary restrictions on the collection of fridges and freezers to their bulky waste services. Residents will need to check the situation in their area with their district or city council.

Councillor Laura Gordon, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Economy, said: “We are exploring every avenue to address the backlog and support residents to continue recycling. I have written to the government to suggest steps they could take to alleviate the situation at a national level.

“Unfortunately, our capacity for treatment nationally has been reduced by a third and we have now had to introduce temporary restrictions at our HWRCs to help manage a growing backlog as we seek to maintain the service for residents.

“We would also like to thank residents for their understanding and working with us through this nationally challenging period.”

People are reminded they can use retailer takeback schemes when buying a new appliance or resell or donate working units. Retailers must offer a like-for-like collection service, although they may charge for collection from the home.

Last week, Oxfordshire County Council announced it was temporarily stopping accepting the items from people living outside the county to prioritise Oxfordshire residents.

All the measures will be kept under constant review, and the council will make existing customers aware of any updates through the HWRC booking system.

Customers are reminded to book a slot online on the council’s website before visiting their HWRC.

Residents without internet access can book slots by phone by contacting the council’s customer service centre on 01865 519800 between 8.45am - 5pm, Monday - Thursday, and 8.45am - 4pm on Fridays.

Oxfordshire customers are also reminded to bring proof of address with them when visiting an HWRC – such as a driving licence or recent utility or council tax bill – as visitors from outside the county will be charged £15.

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Oxfordshire County Council, which operates the county’s seven HWRCs, said it would temporarily stop accepting the items from people living outside the county in order to prioritise Oxfordshire residents.

The measure reflects a nationwide shortage of specialist facilities able to process fridges and freezers.

This has created a significant backlog across the sector, with some councils around the country suspending acceptance of all fridges and freezers at their HWRCs.

Oxfordshire County Council’s targeted approach is intended to reduce incoming tonnage and protect limited storage capacity, while maintaining the service for Oxfordshire households.

The HWRC booking system has been adjusted so that non-Oxfordshire customers can no longer select fridges or freezers when making a booking, and customers with existing bookings will also be contacted to advise them of the temporary restriction.

The situation will be kept under close review and the council will continue discussions with its contractor and disposal outlets.

Customers are reminded to book a slot online on Oxfordshire County Council’s website before visiting their HWRC. Bookings are available up to two weeks in advance or 30 minutes prior, subject to availability.

Residents without internet access can book slots over the telephone by contacting the council’s customer service centre on 01865 519800 between 8.45am - 5pm, Monday – Thursday, and 8.45am - 4pm on Fridays.

Oxfordshire customers are also reminded to bring proof of address with them when visiting an HWRC – such as a driving licence or recent utility or council tax bill – as visitors from outside the county will be charged £15.

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Oxfordshire County Council has again been named the top performing waste disposal authority in the two-tier system in figures published last month. In 2024 - 25, residents recycled, reused or composted 56.6 per cent of their household waste.

The total amount of household waste produced in Oxfordshire was 292,738 tonnes for 2024 - 25, with 165,694 tonnes being reused, recycled and composted.

Oxfordshire’s city and four district councils, which operate the kerbside collections for householders, also achieved good results in their national category.

Out of 197 waste collection authorities in England, South Oxfordshire District Council is second in the table for the percentage of waste recycled (61.3 per cent), the Vale of White Horse is 8th (58.9 per cent), West Oxfordshire is 16th (57 per cent), Cherwell is 37^th (51.5 per cent), and Oxford City Council is 51^st (48.2 per cent).

Along with the county council, the city and district councils make up the Oxfordshire Resources and Waste Partnership (ORWP) which works together to improve recycling and waste management services for residents.

Vicky Beechey, ORWP Manager, said: “The sustained high performance collectively by Oxfordshire councils is notable, particularly against the backdrop of challenging financial times for everyone. To see ORWP partners’ and Oxfordshire residents’ hard work continuing to be reflected in these figures is testament to the commitment of everyone to deliver positive environmental outcomes.

“Our residents deserve congratulations and thanks for all their consistent hard work and commitment in achieving this landmark. However, we are certainly not complacent and one area we would like to improve is reducing food waste. Wasting less food is good for our finances, and the food waste we do recycle is anaerobically digested, making methane to replace fossil gas to heat our homes and cook our food.

“ORWP partners recognise that there is more to do to improve reuse, repair, recycling and composting figures. We can all take positive action through reducing  food waste, keeping items in use for longer and reducing the amount of waste we produce – for the benefit of everyone. Using tools such as the Waste Wizard can really help put the items we have in the right place – whether that’s for reuse, composting or to throw away.”

Visitors to Oxfordshire’s seven household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) are reminded that a booking system is now in operation.

Customers must book a slot online on Oxfordshire County Council’s website before visiting their HWRC. Bookings are available up to two weeks in advance or 30 minutes prior, subject to availability.

Residents without internet access can book slots over the telephone by contacting the council’s customer service centre on 01865 519800 between 8.45am - 5pm, Monday - Thursday, and 8.45am - 4pm on Fridays.

Oxfordshire customers are also reminded to bring proof of address with them when visiting an HWRC – such as a driving licence or recent utility or council tax bill – as visitors from outside the county will be charged £15.

Oxfordshire residents can also dispose of limited amounts of DIY waste for free at the county’s HWRCs if they book online in advance .

For those looking to reduce their waste further, Oxfordshire’s Community Action Group network and Replenish project have lots of opportunities for people to get involved with local schemes and tips on how to reduce waste and improve their local environment.

Residents can also visit Climate Action Oxfordshire for ideas on the practical things they can do to reduce waste and make better climate choices with the time they have available. 

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Customers must book a slot online on Oxfordshire County Council’s website before visiting their HWRC. Bookings are available up to two weeks in advance or 30 minutes prior, subject to availability.

Residents without internet access can book slots over the telephone by contacting the council’s customer service centre on 01865 519800 between 8.45am - 5pm, Monday – Thursday, and 8.45am - 4pm on Fridays.

Oxfordshire customers are also reminded to bring proof of address with them when visiting an HWRC – such as a driving licence or recent utility or council tax bill – as visitors from outside the county will be charged £15.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said: “Between the booking system going live on 14 January and 1 March there have been more than 58,000 visits to Oxfordshire’s HWRCs.

“Around 74 per cent of these visitors booked in advance, so we really need to ensure that the other 26 per cent are aware that they need to book in advance. It only takes two minutes to make a booking online.”

To date, there has been good availability and far less queueing on sites. The most popular slots have been on weekends, particularly between 11am and 2pm.

As well as better traffic management, the booking system can increase recycling rates as staff are able to help visitors separate their recyclable from their non recyclable waste.

Analysis has shown up to 60 per cent of material deposited in the non recyclable containers is, in fact, recyclable. Customers are asked to sort all their recycling, ideally before arriving at an HWRC.

For those attending with unsorted waste, sorting stations are available to help separate out as much recycling as possible. This is better for the environment and helps the council to avoid larger disposal costs.

Residents can use the Waste Wizard search tool, found at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wastewizard, if they are not sure what they can and can’t recycle. They can also ask site staff at their local HWRC.

While some residents may be concerned that the booking system will cause fly-tipping to increase, the changes implemented are quite commonplace in other local authorities and have been in place at some for quite a while.

Their experiences have shown this does not lead to a rise in fly-tipping and, so far, there has not been an increase observed in Oxfordshire as the vast majority of residents are law abiding and will dispose of their waste responsibly. The council will continue to monitor the situation.

The booking system, which was introduced on 14 January, will also help manage demand across the HWRC network when Redbridge HWRC is closed later this year for around three months for essential safety work.

Redbridge sees the most visitors of all the sites, and it is expected that these customers will go to their nearest alternative. The booking system will help manage the increased demand at the other sites.

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From Wednesday 14 January, people must book a slot online on Oxfordshire County Council’s website before visiting their HWRC. Bookings are available up to two weeks in advance or 30 minutes prior, subject to availability.

The council already operates a booking system for residents wanting to dispose of small quantities of DIY waste for free, after introducing it in January 2024. This process is built into the new booking system, so when you make a booking for the 14 January onwards, please select the waste you are bringing, including any DIY waste to receive your free allocation.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said: “We know our residents are committed to reducing waste as they have helped Oxfordshire top the national recycling, reusing and composting table for 11 consecutive years.

“We believe they will see the benefits of this new system, which will help them avoid long queues by booking a time slot in advance, and help lead to better customer service from our HWRC employees.”

Booking systems have already been successfully introduced in many other parts of the country, including Swindon, Gloucestershire, West Berkshire, Suffolk and Kent for several years. The council consulted other authorities where similar systems are in place and received strong feedback about how it can improve the service.

The key advantage of the booking system will be reduced queuing for residents, but it will also provide better traffic management, increased recycling rates as staff can help visitors separate their recyclable from their non-recyclable waste, and more targeted communication with customers about their scheduled visit.

It will also save council taxpayers’ money by helping to prevent trade waste from being illegally disposed of at the HWRCs.

Some residents may be concerned that a booking system could cause fly-tipping to increase. However, an independent study carried out in 2022 revealed there was no evidence that the introduction of one led to an increase in fly-tipping.

Although the booking system will be online, residents without internet access will be able to book slots over the telephone by contacting our customer service centre.

Anyone can book a visit to dispose of household waste. However, people living outside Oxfordshire will be charged £15.

To make sure Oxfordshire residents are not charged, visitors must bring a document showing proof of address with them – such as a driving licence or recent utility or council tax bill.

Cllr Roberts added: “The booking system will also help manage demand across the HWRC network while Redbridge HWRC is temporarily closed later in 2026 for around three months, to facilitate essential safety work to be carried out.”

Redbridge would normally receive 40,000 customers in these three months. It is anticipated that these people will go to their nearest alternative site instead, increasing demand and queuing times. Therefore, a booking system would help alleviate any short-term issues arising from the temporary closure.

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New information regarding the likelihood and potential impact of a fire at the site means that an exceptional decision has been made to progress work to entirely clear the site of waste.

The Environment Agency expects to fund the clearance efforts through making efficiencies in its operations, without impacting or scaling back any of its other services. However, it is not funded to clear up waste sites nationally and will only make these decisions under truly exceptional circumstances.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said: “This is the news that the residents of Kidlington and the surrounding areas have been longing to hear, and we thank the Environment Agency for finding the resources for the waste to be cleared in these exceptional circumstances.

“While we agree with the principle that the polluter should pay for any clear-up, the scale of this waste and its proximity to the A34, the River Cherwell and rail infrastructure means that there is a unique level of risk compared with similar sites around the country.

“To prevent any increasing chance of long-term environmental damage and potentially major impact on nationally significant infrastructure it is vital that the waste is removed as soon as possible.”

New advice from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service indicated the possibility of a fire on site, which could have widespread impacts on the community, including closing the A34, raising air quality issues from the smoke and interrupting electrical supplies.

Cllr Roberts added: “We will continue to assist the Environment Agency in any way we can to bring the criminals who created this blight on the community.”

Following the appalling large-scale dumping of waste earlier in the summer, partners, including Oxfordshire County Council, have been monitoring the site, restricting access to prevent further dumping, installing environmental safeguards and considering next steps to ensure the community is protected.

The Environment Agency said the scale of the fire risk sets this case apart from other illegal waste dumps in England and presents an overriding public imperative. As such, preparatory works for clearance will begin imminently.

Further details on the timeframe for clearance will be set out shortly.

Philip Duffy, Environment Agency chief executive, said: “The brazen criminality at Kidlington has appalled all of us at the Environment Agency. Our local teams have been at this site working with partners to reduce harm and minimise risks while we pursue those responsible.

“This week, new information on the risk of fire was received from the fire and rescue service and the police and a decision made to clear the site as soon as possible on a wholly exceptional basis. The EA and our local partners are now working through the most effective way to manage this work.

“We will update the public on progress with that as soon as we are able. We are determined that waste criminals will see justice for this serious offending.”

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Householders can pick up a free roll of food waste caddy liners to help deal with the extra food waste expected to be generated over the festive period.

The free liners are available from the county’s libraries during December, while stocks last.

All households receive food waste recycling collections from their district council. Oxfordshire County Council arranges for the collected food waste to be recycled.

Although most households already recycle their food waste – the council recycled over 25,000 tonnes of food waste last year – it estimates that a similar amount is thrown away with non-recyclable waste.

If all the food waste that is thrown away was recycled, it would save Oxfordshire County Council an estimated £3 million a year.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said: “No one wants to waste food. But where that’s not possible and for inedible food waste, such as potato peelings and turkey bones, home composting or recycling it using the kerbside collection really help to reduce the impact of waste disposal on the climate.

“That’s why we are giving Oxfordshire residents caddy liners again to make it easier for them at a time when food waste is likely to increase significantly. Reducing the amount of food waste that ends up in general rubbish could save the council millions of pounds – money that would be better spent on other projects to improve people’s lives.”

Non-recyclable waste in Oxfordshire is burnt to generate energy, which already reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to landfill, but recycling food waste doubles the climate change benefit.

The recycling process generates green electricity and a fertiliser that is used on farmland across the county.

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Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet today agreed the recommendations which include changes to opening hours, although these will not come into effect until late 2027.

Oxfordshire’s HWRCs are currently open 63 hours a week (8am to 5pm daily), and this will remain the case until winter 2027.

From then onwards, summer opening hours (1 April - 30 September) will be 9am to 5pm (56 hours a week), and winter (1 October - 31 March) opening will be from 9am to 4pm (49 hours).

In addition to Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day when all sites close, from winter 2027 sites shall also be closed on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

The amended opening hours still compare favourably to those in many other parts of the country and are in line with feedback provided by the public.

More than 5,800 people provided feedback in a public consultation in the summer that guided the proposals.

Other changes that will come into force from early 2026, alongside the introduction of a booking system, which was approved in 2024, include:

• The requirement for customers to separate all recyclable material from any unsorted mixed waste brought to HWRCs. Having all waste sorted prior to attending an HWRC is preferred, although on-site sorting areas will be provided.
• Customers from outside Oxfordshire will be charged £15 per visit per vehicle.
• Updates to the procedure for acceptance of cement bonded asbestos, including the addition of this waste stream to the list of chargeable items 
• Updates to the current van and trailer permit scheme, which will not affect the majority of customers.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said: “Our officers have listened carefully to what people have said and we thank the public for such detailed and thoughtful feedback this summer. These minor changes to hours and days, supported by the consultation, won't be implemented until winter 2027.

“Other changes, which will come in early 2026, will see a reduction in van and trailer permits to 10 per year, and a charge for HWRC users from outside the county, the costs of which are currently funded by Oxfordshire’s residents.

“This will keep the HWRCs open at the times they are most used, provide greater value for money for our council taxpayers and improve our residents’ already excellent recycling rates.”

Unlike many other parts of the country, including neighbouring areas, Oxfordshire does not currently limit the use of HWRCs to county residents only. In other areas, fees can range from £94.50 for a medium sized car boot full in Buckinghamshire to £10 per visit in Kent.

The council has a situation where Oxfordshire residents are prevented from using neighbouring authority facilities, while their residents are still able to use those in Oxfordshire – leading to increased service costs for Oxfordshire County Council.

The introduction of a reasonable fee for residents from outside of Oxfordshire will help the council to meet those extra costs, without ruling out access altogether for residents residing outside of Oxfordshire who may live close to its HWRCs.

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For the second year, the theme of Recycle Week, which is running from 22 - 28 September, is ‘Rescue Me! Recycle’.

The county has a 57.69 per cent recycling and composting rate, making Oxfordshire residents the best in England for 11 years in a row.

However, to continue to tackle the climate emergency, Oxfordshire County Council is calling on people to try to increase that figure as around half of the average rubbish bin is made up of items that could have been recycled.

Recycle Week aims to highlight common types of recyclable waste that residents often don’t recycle and ask them to rescue at least one of these items from their rubbish bin.

These could include toilet roll tubes, empty aerosols, old toothpaste tubes, trigger sprays, shampoo bottles, foil, yoghurt pot and toilet roll tubes – all of which can be collected in kerbside waste collections throughout Oxfordshire.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Place, Environment and Climate Action, said: “We know that Oxfordshire residents are already great at recycling, but there is always room for improvement.”

Oxfordshire County Council’s online Waste Wizard search tool can help people put the right items in the right bin. Available on the council’s website, residents can type in their postcode and the item they no longer need to find out where it could be repaired or donated, or which kerbside bin or recycling centre skip it can go in.

“With busy lives and so many different types of items, packaging and materials, we appreciate there are times when householders can be unsure if something is recyclable or not,” added Cllr Roberts. “But if everyone can check the Waste Wizard and rescue at least one more recyclable item from general waste, it will make a big difference across the county.”

More advice and information about reducing the amount of waste produced can be found through Oxfordshire Recycles, which provides updates through different channels including Facebook and X/Twitter.

The partnership, which is made up of the county, city and district councils, works together to improve Oxfordshire’s recycling performance.

Recycle Week is organised by Recycle Now, part of international climate action charity WRAP, and is now in its 22nd year.

Catherine David, Chief Executive 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, foil, and toothpaste tubes – 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.”

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An innovative vape recycling scheme, launched in November 2023, has collected more than two tonnes of disposable vapes for recycling in Oxfordshire over 12 months.

Funded by Material Focus, a not for profit organisation leading the Recycle Your Electricals campaign, the initiative has played a vital role in promoting sustainable recycling practices across Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire County Council, in partnership with Cherwell District Council, Oxford City Council and its commercial partner ODS, aimed to provide new and convenient recycling options for disposable vapes. These often end up in litter bins or general waste, contaminating other recyclable materials and posing fire risks in collection vehicles and waste management facilities.

Throughout its operation, the scheme offered multiple collection options for residents, including:

• New kerbside collection services for vapes for residents in Cherwell and Oxford.
• New public recycling collection points in locations in Oxford, Banbury, Bicester, and Kidlington, including local bars, university premises, and public buildings.
• Large pink bins placed at all seven household waste recycling centres in Oxfordshire.

As part of the project, more than 80,000 disposable vapes have been recycled so far, exceeding the target of two tonnes of vape waste.

Councillor Dr Pete Sudbury, pictured, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council with Responsibility for Climate change, Environment and Future Generations, said: “The best solution to this issue is for disposable vapes to be banned, which the government is doing and we welcome this. In the meantime, our joint efforts to get as many of these items as possible into the recycling system has been a great success, and we thank everyone who has taken part.

“I'm glad to see people will still be able to dispose of single use vapes sensibly, up to the time they are rightly banned.”

Councillor Nigel Chapman, Oxford City Council Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies, said: “Once collected, the vapes were meticulously sorted and dismantled manually, with components such as plastic, aluminium, and lithium carefully separated and sent to approved recyclers. This process not only promotes responsible disposal but also recovers valuable materials that can be reused.

“Looking ahead, the government has announced a ban on disposable vapes by June 2025, encouraging consumers to opt for reusable alternatives. This aligns with our ongoing commitment to promoting sustainable practices.”

Councillor Ian Middleton, Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhood Services at Cherwell District Council, said: “Single use vapes are notorious for the dangers they present if they are not disposed of in responsible manner. Not only are the batteries inside them a huge waste of resources if they are carelessly discarded, they can also cause serious fires if collected with general waste, which represents a safety risk to refuse collectors and the general public.

“We were pleased to be able to provide residents in the district with an easy and safe way to recycle these tricky mixed material products from their homes via kerbside collections and local recycling points and look forward to them finally being banned next year.”

While the funded period of the project has concluded, most of the services set up will continue. Residents can find drop off locations to recycle their vapes using the search tool on the Recycle Your Electricals website, and find details on kerbside collections using Oxfordshire’s Waste Wizard tool.

Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus, said: “This vape recycling project has proven that small electrical recycling is important to residents. We are delighted with how engaged and supportive local communities have been and how the investment from the Electrical Recycling Fund has funded the local project.

“As e-waste is the fastest growing waste stream, we hope to continue to see a rise in the amount of electricals recycled across the UK.”

An estimated 8.2 million vapes (such as single use, pod and ‘big puff’) are now thrown away every week or recycled incorrectly – around 13 every second. More information about the big puff vapes, which are surging onto the market, and the threat they pose is available on  Material Focus’ website.

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The council already operates a booking system for residents wanting to dispose of small quantities of DIY waste and, in the future, this will be extended to all users. Currently, people can visit the sites during opening hours without pre-booking.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, approved the measure today (14 November) at his cabinet member’s decision meeting.

Cllr Sudbury said: “Our residents have helped Oxfordshire top the national recycling, reusing and composting table for 10 years in a row, so we know they are committed to reducing waste. We are confident that they will see the benefits of this new system, which will help them avoid long queues by booking a time slot in advance, and lead to better customer service from our HWRC employees.

“Booking systems have already been successfully introduced in many other parts of the country, including Swindon, West Berkshire, Suffolk, Kent and Gloucestershire, for several years. We consulted other authorities where similar systems are in place and received strong feedback about how it can improve the service.”

Advantages of a booking system include better traffic management, reduced queues, better recycling rates as staff can help visitors separate their recyclable from their non-recyclable waste, and more targeted communication with customers about their scheduled visit.

It will also save council taxpayers’ money by helping to prevent trade waste from being illegally disposed of at the HWRCs.

A study carried out in 2022 revealed there was no evidence that the introduction of booking systems led to an increase in fly-tipping.

Although the booking system will be online, residents without internet access will be able to book slots over the telephone.

The booking scheme is due to come into operation on 14 January 2026. The council aims to have it in place before the temporary closure of Oxford’s Redbridge HWRC for around three months to enable essential stabilisation work to be carried out. This work is expected to begin around May 2026.

As Redbridge would normally receive 40,000 customers in these three months, it is anticipated that these people would go to their nearest alternative site instead, increasing demand and queuing times. Therefore, a booking system would help alleviate any short-term issues arising from the temporary closure.

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More than 100 community action groups (CAG Oxfordshire) and Oxfordshire County Council have scooped a national award for their joint efforts to improve recycling and reduce waste.

They won the partnership category at the 2024 Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee awards on 10 October.

The award recognises the work of the partnership, which has been going strong for over 20 years. It supports grassroots efforts to reduce, reuse and repair across Oxfordshire communities, and diverted around 2,000 tonnes of material from disposal in 2023/24.

Councillor Dr Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, said: “It’s wonderful to see the strong partnership between Oxfordshire County Council and CAG Oxfordshire recognised at these national awards.

“Community groups play a crucial role in creating the social cohesion that is central to the resilience of societies when they are subject to sudden unpredictable shocks, like the pandemic, or increasingly extreme weather events. That's one of the reasons we doubled our funding support to the CAGs a year ago. 

“We are delighted to support local communities to act on the environmental issues that matter to them. We would like to thank the 112 groups across the county for doubling their impact over the last year, holding 8,800 events, putting true sustainability and the circular economy into real world action and making a positive impact on the environment and society.”

Katherine Chesson, Director of CAG Oxfordshire, said: “We are proud of our ongoing partnership with Oxfordshire County Council as we've seen the network grow and flourish over that time.

“The partnership has allowed us to support the amazing volunteers and community champions advancing important environmental and social initiatives in every corner of the county. This award is as much a recognition of their efforts as it is our partnership.”

In 2023/24 the CAG network delivered near 9,000 events and activities thanks to the support of 220,000 volunteer hours – in both cases, double the impact of the previous year.

These activities resulted in approximately 1,654 tonnes of non-food waste being reused and repaired. Another 678 tonnes of food was diverted from waste to be redistributed, cooked, eaten or processed, preventing nearly 1,695 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Events and activities have included:

• A riverbank clean-up which collected over 100kg of plastic.
• Over Christmas, one community fridge redistributed more than 14 tonnes of surplus food to families in need.
• Cooking classes supported people to eat and buy more sustainably, exploring food miles, how to eat on a budget, and how to cook using surplus ingredients.
• Five ‘libraries of things’ and swap shops, which reused over three tonnes of products.
• Over 260 repair cafes.
• Refill shops and pop-ups helping to eliminate waste, including repairing more than 2,000 bikes.

The partnership enables the council to support local communities to tackle the issues that impact them. The enthusiasm of local communities championing the projects they have identified and developed helps to ensure their success, widen the impact and, in many cases, helps the initiatives grow.

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For safety reasons, Oxfordshire County Council will be shutting the centres for two days – although never at the same time – to allow for deep cleaning and essential maintenance.

This includes jet washing the sites and structures, repainting lines and safety areas, as well as other general work to improve the customer experience.

The closing dates are:

• Stanford in the Vale, near Faringdon: Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 September
• Ardley, near Bicester: Thursday 5 and Friday 6 September
• Drayton, near Abingdon: Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 September
• Oakley Wood, near Wallingford: Thursday 12 and Friday 13 September
• Dix Pit, Stanton Harcourt: Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 September
• Alkerton, near Banbury: Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 October.

All closures are on quieter weekdays to minimise disruption and sites will reopen at 8am the following day.

Residents are asked to plan ahead, ideally holding onto their waste until the site reopens or, if that is not possible, visiting one of the neighbouring sites.

The deep clean for Redbridge HWRC in Oxford will be carried out later in the year and full details will be provided in due course.

More information can be found on Oxfordshire County Council’s website, including details of alternative sites during the closures.

Users are reminded that to use their free DIY waste allowance, they need to book an appointment for their visit on the council’s website.

Residents with van or trailer permits can use these at any of the HWRCs.

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The seven centres, operated by Oxfordshire County Council, had previously opened until 8pm every Thursday between April and September. However, the extra service is being discontinued this year.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council with Responsibility for Climate Change, Environment and Future Generations, said: “We realise this decision will disappoint some people but unfortunately it is not financially viable to keep it going. However, users should remember that all of our HWRCs will remain open from 8am - 5pm seven days a week, 362 days a year, to meet everyone’s waste and recycling needs.”

The decision follows increased financial pressures placed on local authorities, including Oxfordshire County Council, in waste management.

Councils can no longer charge for the disposal of small quantities of DIY waste, while costs have doubled for disposing of persistent organic pollutants, often found in upholstered furniture, after these materials were banned from being placed in landfill. Together these amount to £1 million a year, which has to be found from savings in other areas.

Full details of the county’s HWRC sites and the services available can be found on Oxfordshire County Council’s website.

People can also find alternative ways to reuse and recycle their items through the Waste Wizard tool or through the comprehensive kerbside collections services offered by Oxfordshire’s city and district councils.

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Oxfordshire County Council has again been named the top performing county council waste disposal authority. In 2022 - 23, residents recycled, reused, or composted 57.2 per cent of their household waste, according to the latest government figures.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “We want to say congratulations and thank you to our residents for all their hard work and commitment in making it 10 in a row. It is quite an achievement.

“We have successfully kept our waste per household down, and the biggest area for improvement would be food waste. A lot of that is still not being recycled. Wasting less food is good for our wallets and for the planet, and the food waste we do recycle is anaerobically digested, making methane to replace fossil gas to heat our homes and cook our food.

“In tough times, we can all remember the old adage ‘waste not, want not’. Waste less food, keep items in use for longer and reduce the amount of rubbish we produce – which benefits everyone financially and environmentally.”

The total amount of household waste produced in Oxfordshire was 278,857 tonnes for 2022/23, with 159,732 tonnes being reused, recycled and composted.

In other good news, the overall amount of non-recyclable waste produced by each household in Oxfordshire dropped, as did the amount of waste sent to landfill.

Oxfordshire’s city and four district councils, which operate the kerbside collections for householders, also achieved excellent results in their national category.

Out of 210 waste collection authorities in England, South Oxfordshire District Council was top of the table (61.6 per cent), the Vale of White Horse was third (60.9 per cent), West Oxfordshire was 14th, Cherwell was 31st, while Oxford City Council was 49th.

Along with the county council, the city and district councils make up the Oxfordshire Resources and Waste Partnership (ORWP) – a collaborative partnership, which works together to improve recycling and waste management services for residents.

Vicky Beechey, Oxfordshire Resources and Waste Partnership (ORWP) Manager, said: “The sustained high performance by Oxfordshire local authorities is remarkable, particularly against a backdrop of challenging financial times for everyone. To see ORWP partners’ hard work continuing to be reflected in these figures is a strong indication of the commitment of those involved to deliver positive environmental outcomes and excellent services for Oxfordshire residents.

“ORWP partners recognise that there is more to do to improve recycling, reuse, and composting rates. We all have a role to play in maintaining and improving on how recycling and waste is managed correctly; using tools such as the Waste Wizard to help put the items we have in the right place – whether that’s for reuse, to repair or to throw away.”

Oxfordshire residents can now dispose of limited amounts of DIY waste for free at the county’s household waste recycling centres by using an online booking system.

The booking system, which was launched by Oxfordshire County Council earlier this year, means householders wanting to use their free DIY waste allocation will need to book in advance through the website.

For those looking to reduce their waste further, Oxfordshire’s Community Action Group network and Replenish project have lots of opportunities for people to get involved with local schemes and tips on how to reduce waste and improve their local environment.

Residents can also visit Climate Action Oxfordshire for ideas on the practical things they can do to reduce waste and make better climate choices with the time they have available. 

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The booking system, which was launched by Oxfordshire County Council today, means householders wanting to use their free DIY waste allocation will need to book in advance through the website.

The move follows a change in government legislation which now permits small amounts of household DIY waste to be disposed of for free. The legislation came into force last week.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “We hope people will quickly get used to this new way of doing things and find it a convenient way of disposing of their free allocation of DIY waste. By ensuring that people book in advance, we can make sure the system is not abused and the costs to our council taxpayers are minimised.

“The change in legislation is aimed at small amounts of DIY waste produced by a householder as part of home improvements they are carrying out themselves.”

Online bookings for free DIY waste only are for a single visit. Oxfordshire residents will need to register their address, vehicle registration number, email address, and the date they wish to visit, along with the site they want to use.

They will then receive an immediate email confirmation of their booking, which must be shown to site team on arrival. It is important residents stick to their booked date otherwise they may be charged, and only authorised bookings will be accepted. 

Free allocations are limited to five standard DIY items for free, or one plasterboard sheet, once every seven days. Where more than the allocated free allowance is presented, the cheapest items will treated as free.

Any DIY waste above this level or deposited more frequently than every seven days will remain fully chargeable at the advertised rates. Full details and examples of charging scenarios are available on the Oxfordshire County Council website and will be available on site.

Examples of DIY waste include baths, sinks, toilets, cisterns, and a 20 litre bag of rubble or tiles. Five of these items would make up a household’s free seven-day allocation.

The booking system for free DIY waste will only permit residents to make one visit every seven days. For example, if a free booking is made for a Tuesday, the next free allocation will not be permitted until the following Tuesday.

However, all residents can visit more often than every seven days, but the DIY waste brought on those visits will then be fully chargeable at the advertised rates. 

The booking system and free DIY allowance is only for Oxfordshire residents. Non-Oxfordshire residents can still use the county’s sites for DIY waste without booking but will be charged in full at the advertised rates.

To give people time to adjust to these changes, site teams will operate flexibly during the first month. Residents will, for their first visit with DIY waste during January, be able to deposit their free allowance of DIY waste without booking, although they may be asked to make a booking on site, through a smartphone, or reminded to make one for any subsequent visit.

Full enforcement of the booking system will go live from 1 February 2024.

Booking is only required for the free allocation of DIY waste. Any other chargeable DIY waste, or other household waste, does not require a booking, apart from the existing booking system for asbestos.

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Three Oxfordshire councils today unveiled their plans for new recycling services for vapes.

Oxfordshire County Council, Cherwell District Council and Oxford City Council will together provide new vape recycling services across the county. They want to prevent the disposal of single-use vapes in litter bins, general waste or mixed recycling where they can contaminate other recycling and, in some instances, cause fires in bin trucks or waste facilities.

New vape recycling points in public spaces offer convenient and easy access for recycling vapes. This is one of more than 40 UK projects funded by Material Focus, the not for profit leading the Recycle Your Electricals campaign who have provided over £40,000 for Oxfordshire to be one of the first county council’s to lead the way by recycling vapes. The funding is part of a wider initiative to make it easier for 10 million UK residents to recycle their electricals.

The Recycle Your Vapes campaign will:

• Add up to 60 new recycling collection points for vapes at small retailers, shopping areas, bars and cafes across Oxford, Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington. Look out for the three-feet high, clear plastic tube vape recycling collection points. The tubes have bright pink recycle your vapes posters and images of vapes on the posters. 
• Provide new public recycling bright pink bins at each of the seven household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) in Oxfordshire.
• And introduce a new separate kerbside collection for vapes in Cherwell.

The new household waste recycling centre (HWRC) bright pink vape bins will be installed on Wednesday 29 November, which will also start the roll out of collection points in other locations.

In all other areas of Oxfordshire, vapes can be recycled at the kerbside with other small electrical items. How they are collected in each district council area varies, residents should check the Waste Wizard or their district council's website to check the local area’s collection service. 

Residents will also be made aware of how and where they can recycle their vapes through information on leaflets, and on posters featuring HypnoCat. Keep an eye out for HypnoCat, the Recycle Your Electricals mesmerising pink, fluffy mascot, he is on a mission to hypnotise local residents into recycling their vapes.

The Material Focus Electricals Recycling Fund is making it easier for consumers to recycle their electricals. The projects that have been funded by Material Focus include a variety of recycling methods, from kerbside collections to more drop-off points in schools, community centres and bring banks. Overall, there will be over 400 new collection points plus kerbside collections for 5.5 million UK residents.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “Partly because of their environmental impact, we would support a ban on the sale of disposable vapes and encourage reusable vapes where possible. However, while vapes are still being used and thrown away, this project will expand the range of services for residents to safely recycle them.”

Councillor Andrew McHugh, Portfolio Holder for Cleaner and Greener Communities at Cherwell District Council, said: “Cherwell District Council is always looking at developing ways to make it easier for residents to dispose of their waste appropriately and recycle more.

“We are pleased to offer residents the option to recycle disposable vapes in addition to other small electrical items at the kerbside. All residents need to do is place the vapes in a clear plastic bag on top of their blue or green bin on collection day, it’s important not to dispose of these items in the green or blue bins as the batteries can, and have, caused serious fires.”

Councillor Nigel Chapman, Oxford City Council's Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies, said: "One small act, like putting disposable vapes in general waste or recycling, can cause immense disruption, considerable damage to our collection vehicles, and create danger to the public and our operators.

"Only last summer we had a fire in one of our waste disposal vehicles that was probably caused by a discarded vape. It led to significant damage to the vehicle and inconvenience to the public.

"It’s important to dispose of vapes appropriately so that they can be properly treated and not cause a hazard.”

Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus, said: “We are pleased to support ‘Recycle Your Vape’ as it will help address the pressing issue of vape waste. This project could be an example for other initiatives across the UK, to make it easier to recycle vapes by providing public recycling points. By investing in improved collection and drop-off services and exploring new recycling methods, we are taking a significant step towards creating a more sustainable future by making it easier for 10 million more people to recycle their electricals.”

To find your nearest recycling point search recycle your electricals or the council’s Waste Wizard search tool.

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Oxfordshire County Council has again been named the best performing county council waste disposal authority in England. In 2021 - 22, residents recycled, reused or composted 58.2 per cent of their household waste, according to the latest government figures.

But despite this success, the council said it is not complacent and will continue to look for ways to improve its figures even further.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “I want to thank our residents and waste management teams for once again putting Oxfordshire at the top of the table.

“However, we’re not recycling over a third of what we could, and we need to look for ways of really shifting the dial on that. We know this is what the people of Oxfordshire expect of us.”

The total amount of household waste produced in Oxfordshire was 301,902 tonnes for 2021 - 2022. And 150,086 tonnes were reused, recycled and composted, which created a carbon benefit equivalent to 121,308 tonnes of carbon dioxide compared to disposing of it through landfill.

Oxfordshire’s five district and city councils, which operate the kerbside collections, also achieved excellent results in their national category. South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse came second and fourth respectively with recycling rates of 62.7 per cent and 61.9 per cent, while West Oxfordshire, Cherwell, and Oxford City councils were all in the top performing 22 per cent.

Along with the county council, the district and city councils make up the Oxfordshire Resources and Waste Partnership (ORWP) – a collaborative partnership which works together to improve recycling and waste management services for residents.

Vicky Beechey, ORWP Manager, said: “Oxfordshire local authorities have long been recognised as high performing in recycling and their ongoing delivery of excellent recycling and waste management services. To see partners’ hard work reflected in these figures is testament to the commitment of those involved to deliver best value and positive environmental outcomes for Oxfordshire residents.

“As ever, we will not be resting on our laurels with more to do to improve recycling, reuse, and composting rates. Everyone has a role to play in maintaining and improving on how recycling and waste is managed correctly; using tools such as the Waste Wizard to help put the items we have in the right place – whether that’s for reuse, to repair or to throw away.

“ORWP partners know times are really challenging for residents and by taking proper action we can all reduce food waste, keep items in use for longer and reduce the amount of waste we produce – for the benefit of everyone.”

For those looking to reduce their waste further, the Community Action Group network and Replenish project have lots of opportunities to get involved with local schemes, and tips on how to reduce waste and improve their local environment. Residents can also visit Climate Action Oxfordshire for ideas on the practical things they can do to reduce waste and make better climate choices with the time they have available. 

Visitors to Oxfordshire’s seven household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) were recently asked to separate recyclable material from their general waste before disposing of it.

By sorting their mixed rubbish out before their visit, residents can prevent items that can be recycled from ending up in the general waste and bulky skips – increasing the county’s recycling rates further.

Users are also reminded that the cost to customers of disposing of DIY and other chargeable waste at Oxfordshire’s HWRCs has risen from 1 April. While most items can still be left free of charge, DIY waste is legally classified as industrial waste and incurs a small charge.

The county council is currently carrying out a consultation into its HWRC strategy for the next 20 years. One of the aims is to provide places where people can give things to be used again, recycle things easily and safely, and throw things away in the right way.

People can have their say on the strategy on the council’s Let’s talk Oxfordshire website by 8 May.

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While most items brought to Oxfordshire County Council’s seven household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs) can be left free of charge, DIY waste – items such as rubble, soil, fence panels, work tops and sinks – is legally classified as industrial waste and incurs a small charge.

From 1 April, all items currently charged at £1.50 will now cost £2. This covers most waste generated through home and garden renovations, including loft insultation, guttering, decking and fitted furniture. A list is available on the council’s website.

The cost of disposing of bags of plasterboard will rise from £2.50 to £3.50, tyres from £5 to £6, but plasterboard sheets will remain at £10.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “Although we are not legally obliged to accept these items, we like to provide this service as it gives residents a cost-effective way of disposing of their own DIY waste. It’s a cheaper alternative to hiring a skip or a commercial waste collector when dealing with small amounts of waste.

“This is the first time the prices to the public have risen since 2017, despite our own disposal costs increasing. Our prices remain some of the lowest in the country and the money raised goes directly towards offsetting the cost of recycling, treating and disposing of this waste and operating our HWRCs.”

Cash is not accepted, so visitors are asked to ensure they can pay electronically before travelling. If you are unable to pay for items, you will not be permitted to deposit them.

Regrettably, site teams are regularly abused while taking these charges. This will not be tolerated and may lead to refusal of entry and even banning orders. The council asks member of the public to be courteous to staff at all times.

Commercial waste cannot be disposed at the HWRCs. This includes any waste generated by businesses, landlords or charities. Waste also becomes commercial waste where payment is made for the work. Details about how to dispose with this waste can also be found on the council’s website.

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For safety reasons, Oxfordshire County Council will be shutting each of its centres for two days – although never at the same time – to allow for deep cleaning and essential maintenance to take place. This includes jet washing the sites and structures, repainting lines and safety areas, as well as other general work to improve the customer experience.

The closing dates are:

• Alkerton, near Banbury: Monday 20 and Tuesday 21 March
• Ardley, near Bicester: Thursday 23 and Friday 24 March
• Dix Pit, Stanton Harcourt: Monday 24 and Tuesday 25 April 
• Drayton, near Abingdon: Thursday 30 and Friday 31 March
• Oakley Wood, near Wallingford: Thursday 20 and Friday 21 April
• Redbridge, Oxford: Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 April
• Stanford, near Faringdon: Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 March.

All closures are on quieter weekdays to minimise disruption and sites will reopen at 8am the following day. Residents are asked to plan ahead, ideally holding on to their waste until the site reopens or, if that is not possible, visiting one of the neighbouring sites.

More information can be found on Oxfordshire County Council’s website, including details of your nearest alternative site during the closures.

Residents with van or trailer permits can use these at any of the HWRCs.

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Oxfordshire County Council wants residents to sort their mixed rubbish out before their visit, in a bid to prevent items that can be recycled from ending up in the general waste and bulky skips.

Visitors are encouraged to separate their recycling so it can be put into the relevant containers which are on site, including plastics, card, textiles and shoes, metals and electrical items, before setting off.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “We know that our residents are in favour of this. It will help us reduce our carbon emissions, and cut the amount of recyclable waste that goes to energy recovery.

“A little bit of effort can make a big difference to improve Oxfordshire’s already excellent recycling rates.”

Analysis of the general waste skip showed that up to 60 per cent of the items disposed there could have been recycled instead. Items which often get thrown in the wrong skip include plastic chairs, saucepans, ripped clothing, blankets and towels, all of which could have been recycled.

The campaign follows a recent consultation in which the council asked residents their views on how to increase recycling rates further. The feedback called for visitors to HWRCs to sort their mixed waste and recycling before their visit.

Other benefits will include enabling quicker visits and reducing traffic queues at the sites.

Oxfordshire has topped the national table when it comes to recycling, reusing, and composting for eight years in a row. Oxfordshire County Council was named the best performing county council waste disposal authority in England in 2020-21, with residents recycling, reusing, or composting 59.5 per cent of their household waste, according to the most recent government figures.

Details of where to find your nearest HWRC is available at oxfordshire.gov.uk/recyclingcentres.

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The free liners are available from the following locations during December, while stocks last:

• All Oxfordshire libraries
• County Hall, Oxford
• Abbey House, Abingdon
• Bodicote House, Banbury
• The Marsh Road Depot, Oxford
• Welch Way - Town Centre Shop, Witney
• Bicester Green
• Oxford Wood Recycling, Abingdon
• The Wantage Mix
• Share Oxford.

Customers who use the Home Library Service will be offered a roll of food caddy liners with their book delivery.

All households receive food waste recycling collections from their district council. Oxfordshire County Council arranges for the collected food waste to be recycled. Although most households already recycle their food waste – the council recycles nearly 25,000 tonnes of food waste annually – it estimates that a similar amount wrongly ends up in general waste.

If all of the food waste that is still thrown away in general rubbish bins was recycled, it would save Oxfordshire County Council more than £2 million a year.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate change and Environment, said: “The best thing people can do – especially during this cost of living crisis – is to minimise the amount of food that gets thrown away. Where that’s not possible, home composting or recycling food waste using the kerbside collection really help to reduce the impact of waste disposal on the climate.

“That’s why we are giving away these caddy liners to make it easier for residents at a time when we know that food waste is likely to increase significantly. Reducing the amount of food waste that ends up in general rubbish could save the council millions of pounds – money that would be better spent on other projects to improve people’s lives.”

General rubbish in Oxfordshire is burnt to generate energy, which already reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to landfill, but recycling food waste doubles the climate change benefit.

The recycling process generates green electricity and a fertiliser that is used on farmland across the county.

Residents are also being reminded that Oxfordshire’s seven household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs) will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. They will be open on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve from 8am - 3pm. Details of where to find HWRCs is available at oxfordshire.gov.uk/recyclingcentres.

There are also tips on reducing waste and making savings over the festive period, from zero waste gift ideas to sustainable Christmas jumpers, on our Reducing waste with a green Christmas webpage, which also includes details of its #ReuseLikeScout colouring competition for under-16s. Entrants will be entered into a prize draw, with five winners receiving book tokens.

More information about how to reduce your food waste and recycle more this festive season – including links to the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, which contains money-saving tips, storage hints, and recipes to make the most of your leftovers – is available on the Oxfordshire Recycles’ Facebook and Twitter accounts.

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In Oxfordshire, we have a 59.5 per cent recycling and composting rate, which is above the national average of 44.4 per cent. However, to continue to tackle the climate emergency, Oxfordshire County Council is calling on people to do every little bit they can and get involved.

This includes checking in on if they are ‘wishcycling’ – putting something in the recycling bin in the hope that it will be recycled, even though it might be unsuitable, contaminated or only partially recyclable.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “Oxfordshire residents are already great at recycling, but there is always room for improvement when it comes to finding the best possible option for an item we no longer need.

“With busy lives and so many different types of items, packaging and materials, we know there are times when householders can be unsure if something is recyclable or not. Wishcycling can affect the combined quality of the recycling collected, and undo recycling carried out by your neighbours.”

Oxfordshire County Council’s online Waste Wizard search tool can help people put the right items in the right bin. Available on the council’s website, residents can type in their postcode and the item they no longer need to find out where it could be repaired or donated, or which kerbside bin or recycling centre skip it can go in.

There are many reasons why an item may not be suitable for recycling. Sometimes the machinery cannot identify and separate the material, or only part of an item may be recyclable.

Recycle Week is organised by Recycle Now, part of international climate action charity WRAP, and is now in its 19^th year.

Sarah Clayton, Head of Citizen Behaviour Change at WRAP, said: “Last year was the most successful Recycle Week ever in terms of changing behaviour, with 82 per cent of people who saw the campaign content saying they had changed their behaviour as a result. We need to see that momentum continue.

“In 2022, we want to show why recycling is important in the battle against the climate emergency. We are focusing on helping people recycle more effectively at home, showing people how to overcome barriers and providing simple support.”

More advice and information about reducing the amount of waste produced can be found through Oxfordshire Recycles, which provides updates through different channels including Facebook and Twitter.

The partnership, which is made up of the county and district councils, has worked together to produce videos and key messages to highlight common contamination culprits in the recycling process.

These messages include promoting the SCRAP fly tipping campaign, which was launched earlier this year. It explains to people that they have a duty of care to ensure when they give their waste to someone else to remove, that it is managed appropriately and not dumped.

Asking for details of their waste carrier’s licence, a copy of the waste transfer note and for a receipt can all help ensure that waste doesn’t end up being fly tipped.

The county, city and district councils have also been working in partnership to support climate action as a whole and residents can find out how they can do their bit on Climate Action Oxfordshire within their budgets and busy lives.

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FCC Environment, which runs Oxfordshire County Council’s Dix Pit Household Waste Recycling Centre, will be opening its first pop-up reuse shop for the day, from 8am - 1pm.

Located in the car park of the site in Linch Hill, Stanton Harcourt OX29 5BB, the pop-up shop will sell good quality preloved items at bargain prices.

With the school summer holidays almost upon us, visitors can expect to find a range of children’s toys and games including electronic games, board games and books, and sporting goods ranging from bicycles and golf clubs to exercise equipment, rackets and bats.

There will also be garden tools, pots and planters, and a selection of furniture – including items which will be perfect for upcycling.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment, said: “Keeping items in use for as long as possible, donating what we no longer need and purchasing preloved goods wherever possible is something we can all do to reduce our impact on the environment and keep our carbon footprint as low as possible.

“Residents often comment that they have spotted something that they can make use of at our sites, and we are hoping that this trial event is a great success and helps us plan more reuse from our sites in the future.”

Steve Longdon, FCC Environment’s Operations Director, said: “As we all strive to do our bit, reducing and reusing waste has got to be our ultimate goal and this trial event will give us insight into how we can make use of preloved goods brought into the site to avoid waste in the first place. We are really interested to see how this trial works as we look to create more reuse and recycling opportunities for our site users.”

Rob Harris, FCC Environment’s Contract Operations Manager, said: “Every day at Dix Pit we receive amazing items that have lots of life left in them. We understand that it’s easy to bring everything to us in one go for recycling or disposal, but we wanted to provide residents with an alternative, so we are trialling a pop-up reuse shop this weekend to see what people think of the concept.

“We have been putting great items from bikes and golf clubs to books and electronic devices to one side for some time and these will be available for sale to residents who can put them to good use.”

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Climate Action Oxfordshire – www.climateactionoxfordshire.org.uk – lists measures people can take and rates them according to effort, impact, and cost. It also gives people an idea of what financial savings they can make and includes tips and links on how to get started.

From small changes such as washing your clothes on a cold cycle, creating a wildflower area or using rechargeable batteries, to recycling more, eating less meat, and – for those with a bigger budget – getting solar panels or an electric vehicle, the website is full of practical things you can do with the time and money you have to spare.

It is a joint venture set up by Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, West Oxfordshire, and the Vale of White Horse district councils, and OxLEP – the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

The one stop shop has sections aimed at individuals, communities, and organisations, including businesses, and advice on transport, lifestyle, shopping, home and biodiversity matters.

Councillor Andrew Prosser, Cabinet Member for Climate Change at West Oxfordshire District Council, said: “There are so many opportunities for residents to reduce their energy use, particularly around the home which is a major contributor to climate change emissions. Simple steps really can add up, whether that’s draft proofing windows and doors, changing lightbulbs to LEDs and being more diligent about turning off lights, or replacing old appliances to those with a better energy rating when it’s time to renew.

“The new Climate Action Oxfordshire website brings together a whole range of positive actions residents can tap into to make their homes more sustainable, from quick wins that can be easily achieved to those actions which require a bit more input, for those who are able to go that bit further. We would urge everyone to take a look.”

Councillor Sue Cooper, South Oxfordshire District Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Nature Recovery, said: “Our residents are consistently among the best recyclers in the country. This is down to a combination of their efforts and us providing a service which makes recycling easy.

“However, there's always more people can do to reduce waste and to take climate action and so I'm very pleased that the new website will help people to find more information on what they can do at home and in their community. While we look to recycle as much as we can, our aim is to reduce the amount of waste we produce overall.”

Councillor Sally Povolotsky, Vale of White Horse District Council Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency and Environment and electric vehicle (EV) owner, said: “Thanks to the park and charge scheme we now have 250 new EV charging points across the county. If you are keen to make the switch to an EV vehicle, you can find lots of useful information on the new website, including about the huge benefits that doing so can bring to our climate and our air quality.”

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “One of the many great things about this new website is that it puts people in touch with our community action groups. We recently welcomed our 100th group into the fold and it is inspiring to see them tackle climate change on a local level.

“Around 8,000 Oxfordshire residents are already involved, on projects including low carbon transport, energy, biodiversity, social justice, food and waste. If you want to get involved, log on and find your nearest group – or get advice on setting up your own.”

Imogen Thomas, Cabinet Member for Zero Carbon Oxford and Climate Justice at Oxford City Council, said: “Tackling the climate crisis can seem like a big task, but there are ways that anyone can get involved. Using less energy means not only saving carbon but saving money, at a time when we are all feeling the effects of the cost of living crisis.

“Many of us can also play a role in boosting biodiversity in our green spaces. If you have a garden, you can explore what native seeds you can plant to encourage wildflowers. If you live in a flat, why not explore how you can volunteer your time to a community garden or your local green space. Big or small, your actions can make a real difference.”

Councillor Dan Sames, Cherwell District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Cleaner and Greener Communities, said: “We could all do with reducing the amount of items we throw away in a bid to reduce our impact on the planet. This new website will help people find homes for unwanted items lingering around the house, in garages or sheds by encouraging and helping them to repair, reuse or donate things like bikes, furniture and electrical items.

“While these are small changes, they will help us move to a One Planet Living model. There are organisations in Cherwell district that will provide you with the help you need. It’s now just a click away.”

Nigel Tipple, Chief Executive of OxLEP, said: “The introduction of this platform gives businesses the information and practical, positive steps that can be taken to support a more sustainable future in the workplace.

“We would therefore encourage our business community to make use of the Climate Action Oxfordshire site and understand how certain adjustments will collectively make big impacts and support the drive towards a cleaner, more sustainable future for us all.”

The Climate Action Oxfordshire website contains filters so that users can tailor it to their own circumstances. It will be regularly updated with new information and advice to help the county’s residents do what they can to reduce their carbon footprint.

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Residents are being urged to follow the SCRAP code, developed by the Hertfordshire Waste Partnership, to avoid fines and prosecution:

• Suspect all waste carriers.
• Check with the Environment Agency through its website or on 03708 506 506 that the provider taking waste away is licensed.
• Refuse unexpected offers to have waste taken away.
• Ask what will happen to your waste.
• Paperwork should be obtained – such as a detailed invoice, waste transfer note or full receipt.

Vicky Beechey, Oxfordshire County Council’s Waste Partnership Manager, said: “This is an excellent opportunity to build on the successful Hertfordshire-led campaign to rid Oxfordshire of the blight and crime of fly tipping. Oxfordshire’s county and district councils, along with Thames Valley Police and the Environment Agency have teamed up to work with our residents to #SCRAP fly tipping. We want to support them in making responsible decisions in dealing with their waste.”

There were more than 6,000 instances of fly tipping in Oxfordshire in the last 12 months – an increase on the figures of around 4,200 in both 2018/19 and 2019/20. As well as blighting the countryside and local amenity areas, fly tipping costs local council taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds every year to clean up.

The campaign will make residents aware that they can face both an unlimited fine for fly tipping as well as prosecution, or a fixed penalty notice if their waste has been found fly tipped after arranging for it to be removed.

Stuart Hutchings, Thames Valley Police’s Rural Crime Inspector, said: “Fly tipping is an offence: one that poses a risk to people and the environment. This campaign offers practical and helpful advice on how people can dispose of their unwanted items correctly and stay on the right side of the law. We would encourage members of the public to contact their local council if they have any concerns about the issue in their area.”

There are many options to get rid of waste responsibly. For example, finding drop off points on the Waste Wizard search tool, using district council bulky item collections or  local household waste recycling centres.

Steve Molyneux, Head of Waste Regulation at the Environment Agency, said: “Oxfordshire has seen a disturbing rise in fly tipping over the past year by almost 43 per cent – and it is waste criminals with an utter disregard for the environment and for our communities who are to blame.

“The Environment Agency and councils are ready to take action to stop waste crime. The Environment Agency has taken tough action across the country, prosecuting nearly 100 individuals and companies for the most serious waste crime offences, with fines exceeding £900,000, 28 custodial sentences and £1 million of confiscation orders.

“By working together we all have a role in stopping waste going to criminals in the first place. Following the SCRAP code, checking a firm is registered and asking for paperwork are steps we can all take to help prevent waste crime.”

Residents can anonymously report suspected illegal waste services to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111. Of if you find waste that has been fly tipped, please report it to your local council.

Details, tips and advice will be available on the campaign webpage oxfordshire.gov.uk/flytipping.

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Oxfordshire County Council has once again been named the best performing county council waste disposal authority in England. In 2020-21, residents recycled, reused, or composted 59.5 per cent of their household waste, an increase on the previous year’s figure of 58.8 per cent, according to government figures.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “This is a really solid achievement and I want to thank the people of Oxfordshire, and our waste management teams, for all the work they have done to make this happen.

“The continuing COVID-19 pandemic has made it another very difficult year for everyone, so we appreciate the effort that has gone into keeping our recycling rates so high. However, over half of the waste that is thrown away could have been recycled, repaired or reused. The people of Oxfordshire understand the importance of local action when it comes to climate change and this is a great place to start.”

The total amount of household waste produced in Oxfordshire was 310,479 tonnes for 2020/2021. And 186,052 tonnes were reused, recycled and composted, which created a carbon benefit of 126,603 tonnes of CO2e compared to disposing of it through landfill.

Oxfordshire’s five district and city councils, which operate the kerbside collections, also achieved excellent results in their national categories. South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse came second and fourth respectively, while West Oxfordshire, Cherwell, and Oxford City were all in the top performing 25 per cent.

Vicky Beechey, Oxfordshire Resources and Waste Partnership Manager, said: “This is wonderful news, but we will certainly not be resting on our laurels as we know that more can be done to improve recycling, reuse, and composting rates even further. The Oxfordshire Resources and Waste Partnership, made up of the district, city and county councils, has a target to increase recycling to 70 per cent by 2030.

“You can recycle your food waste so it can be turned into liquid fertiliser and used on local farmers’ fields to help grow more crops, pull the plug on emissions by recycling electricals, or search the Waste Wizard for help to get recyclable items in the right bin.

“We can all influence the recycling and waste we create and which bin we put it in, simply from our own homes. By taking action and recycling everything we can it would save another 60,000 tonnes of CO2e a year – the same climate impact as taking nearly 40,000 cars off the road.”

For those looking to reduce their waste further, the Community Action Group network and Replenish project have lots of opportunities to get involved with local schemes, and tips on how to reduce waste and improve their local environment.

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The HWRCs at Alkerton, Drayton and Stanford in the Vale will be affected, and Oxfordshire County Council is urging people to avoid those sites on these days, if possible. All other sites will be open as normal.

The likely closure times are as follows, although they could potentially change:

Monday 20 December

• Alkerton: closed from 8am - 10.30am
• Drayton: closed for a period of up to 1.5 hours sometime between 11.30am and 12.30pm.

Tuesday 21 December

• Drayton: closed from 8am - 10am
• Stanford in the Vale: closed for up 1.5 hours, most likely between 10.30am and 11.30am.

These times are a guide and may be impacted by localised traffic. Oxfordshire County Council’s website, Twitter and Facebook pages will provide up to date details and times, including exact times for closures and reopening as soon as they are known, with the 8am closures already confirmed.

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Oxfordshire libraries will be giving away free rolls of food waste caddy liners to residents from Wednesday 8 December.

Although all households are provided with food waste recycling collections by their district council, it is estimated that the food waste thrown away in general rubbish bins that could have been recycled costs Oxfordshire County Council more than £2 million extra a year in disposal costs.

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate change and Environment, said: “After making sure edible food is not wasted in the first place, home composting or recycling food waste using the kerbside collection are the next best thing people can do to reduce the impact of waste disposal on the climate. That’s why we are giving away these caddy liners to make it easier for residents at a time when we know that food waste is likely to increase significantly.

“I would urge people to pop down to their local library and grab a roll while stocks last. Reducing the amount of food waste that ends up in general rubbish could save the council millions of pounds – money that would be better spent on other projects to improve people’s lives.”

Recycling food waste costs less than a quarter of the price of disposing of it with general rubbish. General rubbish in Oxfordshire is burnt to generate energy which already reduces greenhouse gas emissions compared to landfill, but recycling food waste doubles the climate change benefit. The recycling process generates green electricity and a fertiliser that is used on farmland across the county.

Each year the council already recycles nearly 25,000 tonnes of food waste – such as vegetable peel, bones, eggshells, plate scapings and used teabags – but it estimates that a similar amount wrongly ends up in general waste.

Residents are also being reminded that Oxfordshire’s seven household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs) will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, and will close at 3pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. More information, including details of where to find HWRCs, is available at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/recyclingcentres.

More information about how to reduce your food waste and recycle more this festive season – including links to the Love Food Hate Waste campaign, which contains money-saving tips, storage hints, and recipes to make the most of your leftovers – is available online or from the Oxfordshire Recycles’ Facebook and Twitter accounts.

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For safety reasons, Oxfordshire County Council will be shutting each of its centres for two days – although never at the same time – to allow for deep cleaning and essential maintenance to take place. This includes jet washing the sites and structures, repainting lines and safety areas, as well as other general work to improve the customer experience.

The closing dates are:

• Alkerton, near Banbury: Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 November
• Ardley, near Bicester: Thursday 4 and Friday 5 November
• Dix Pit, Stanton Harcourt: Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 November
• Drayton, near Abingdon: Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 November
• Oakley Wood, near Wallingford: Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 November
• Redbridge, Oxford: Thursday 18 and Friday 19 November
• Stanford, near Faringdon: Thursday 11 and Friday 12 November.

All closures are on quieter weekdays to minimise disruption, and sites will reopen at 8am the following day. Residents are asked to plan ahead, ideally holding on to their waste until the site reopens or, if that is not possible, visiting one of the neighbouring sites.

More information can be found on the Oxfordshire County Council website, including details of your nearest alternative site during the closures.

Residents with van or trailer permits can use these at any of the HWRCs.

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As part of the annual nationwide campaign, which runs from 20 - 26 September, Oxfordshire County Council, Cherwell District Council West Oxfordshire District Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council and Oxford City Council will be holding a series of green events – both online and in person, including fairs, markets, discussions and roadshows.

This year’s theme is ‘Step It Up’ and focuses on the climate and carbon implications of not recycling correctly, or even at all.

 Recycle Week events in Oxfordshire include:

• Tuesday 21 September: Instagram Live Q&A with Oxford Recycles and Replenish Oxfordshire (8.30am - 9.30am)
• Tuesday 21 September: Thame Market stall (9am - 1.30pm)
• Tuesday 21 September: Oxford Brookes University Activist Fair (10am - 3pm)
• Wednesday 22 September: Henley Eco Business Fair (10am-3pm)
• Friday 24 September: Asda Wheatley Recycling roadshow (8am - 2pm)
• Saturday 25 September: Faringdon Green Day (10am - 2pm)

Councillor Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change Delivery and Environment, said: “The climate emergency is finally at the forefront of the world’s attention, and Recycle Week is a great way of reminding us that lots of people making small, everyday changes can have a big impact on reducing our carbon emissions, as well as the way we use the Earth's resources.

“If we ‘Step It Up’ and recycle everything we can, Oxfordshire could reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by more than 60,000 tonnes every year – the same as taking nearly 40,000 new cars off the road.”

Oxfordshire has recorded the highest recycling and composting rate of any county in England for the last seven years – almost reaching 60 per cent last year – thanks to the great work being done by householders. But the aim is to improve that rate even further by encouraging people to keep what they dispose of in their rubbish bins to a minimum.

Councillor Lubna Arshad, Oxford City Council’s Cabinet Member for Parks and Waste Reduction, said: “This Recycle Week we want to encourage residents in Oxford to learn more about recycling and the impact making small changes can have on the climate. Working together with our partners we have organised a range of different events across the county, which will provide information and resources on what you can do to help reduce waste. I encourage anyone who is unsure about what can be recycled, or who wants to find out more to attend one of these events, or to take a look at our Oxford Recycles on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram over the next week for lots of information.”

Recycling bins with incorrect items included, such as disposable nappies, can contaminate the whole load. If a truck load of recycling is rejected because of contamination, it increases the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by more than 12 tonnes.

To help combat this, Oxfordshire County Council is working with the registration service to provide new parents registering the birth of their child with a box of nappy sacks and a card with information to help them recycle correctly, pass items on, and keep disposable nappies out of the recycling bin. There is also help online for those interested in using real, reusable nappies.

Textiles and electrical items should also be kept out of recycling bins as they can get stuck in the machinery, causing tonnes of recycling to be wasted. In some cases, electrical items have even been known to cause fires, while food waste can also contaminate recyclable items.

Small electrical items which may only need a minor repair can be taken to one of six participating libraries. These are collected by local charities, tested, repaired and sold.

Any Oxfordshire residents unsure about how to, reuse, repair, refill, donate, recycle or dispose of an item should go to the Waste Wizard – the online tool which will help them decide which bin to use, where to take it, or how to avoid having to throw it away at all. More than 40,000 people have already searched for an item since it launched last year.

To make the week really shine, Christ Church, Oxford’s famous Tom Tower is expected to be lit up green during the evenings. This building is already illuminated at night, and the green lighting will use low-energy LED bulbs.

Last year Oxfordshire recycled:

• 24,000 tonnes of food waste
• more than 3,000 tonnes of textiles and small electrical items
• more than 35,000 tonnes of plastic bottles, trays, paper, card, drinks cans and food tins.

However, plenty of these materials still end up in the general waste bins. The more that this can be avoided, the higher Oxfordshire’s recycling rate will go – as will all the associated benefits, such as cutting carbon emissions.

Follow Oxfordshire Recycles on Facebook or Twitter for more information.

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Oxfordshire County Council has started a consultation process to find out the views of residents, businesses and other organisations on the service that is provided now and what they might like to see in the future. People can have their say by visiting Let’s Talk Oxfordshire, the council’s new digital consultation and engagement platform.

The council currently provides seven HWRCs for residents to bring household waste for disposal and recycling. The service accounts for 15 per cent of the county’s total household waste.

However, some of the sites are already nearing capacity and, as the county’s population grows, the council wants to ensure that its HWRCs remain affordable and help residents manage their waste in the most environmentally friendly way. The council wants to know people’s views on Oxfordshire’s HWRCs, how people currently use the service and their opinions on ideas for the future.

Councillor Dr Pete Sudbury, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate and Environment, said: “We want as many people as possible to get in touch with us to tell us what we’re doing well and what we could do better when it comes to our HWRCs. The feedback we get will be invaluable in helping us move the service forward to meet the future needs of the county.

“Even if you don’t use our HWRCs at the moment, we would still love you to get involved and tell us if there is anything we could do to encourage you to use them in the future.”

The consultation is aimed at finding out what people value about the service and how they use it so that the council can ensure that it prioritises that going forward.

Views are sought on issues including the distance people travel to the HWRCs, what materials they take to dispose of, opening hours, permits, booking systems and vehicle restrictions. Comments and suggestions are also welcome.

The council’s seven HWRCs are based in:

• Alkerton, near Banbury
• Ardley, near Bicester
• Dix Pit, near Witney
• Drayton, near Abingdon
• Oakley Wood, near Wallingford
• Redbridge, in Oxford
• Stanford-in-the-Vale, near Faringdon

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Oxfordshire County Council has restarted the scheme, which was suspended while libraries were operating a click-and-collect service only.

Drop-off points are for unwanted small electrical items that are still in good condition are available at the following libraries:

• Banbury
• Bicester
• Witney
• Oxfordshire County Library in Oxford’s Westgate Centre
• Cowley
• Blackbird Leys.

A crate will be provided at the library entrance for users to donate their unwanted electrical items. The items will be collected by Bicester Green or Orinoco, two local charities who help reuse and recycle waste.

Volunteers at each charity will make minor repairs, test the items for electrical safety and the items will then be sold on to benefit the charities.

The drop-off point is for small electrical items only – such as toasters, kettles and radios – which can be easily carried. The libraries are not able to accept anything large or heavy, including televisions, monitors, microwaves, white goods or fridges and freezers, or anything damaged and beyond repair.

Drop-offs can only be made when the libraries are open – please check opening hours before visiting. To make your donation safely, remember to follow the rules that apply for all library users.

People are asked to ensure any disposable batteries are removed from donations of battery-powered devices. Batteries can be recycled at the kerbside by placing in a clear bag on top of your wheelie bin. If the item has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery – such as the ones in cordless power tools or mobile phones – please leave them in the device when donated.

Small electrical items that are beyond repair can be recycled either at the kerbside or a recycling centre.

To find details of all recycling services, please visit the Waste Wizard online tool: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wastewizard

From Friday, 26 March, traffic control measures will be introduced at four of the county’s seven HWRCs for a three-week period, and centres will be closed early or for short periods in the day if queues start affecting surrounding roads. Late-night opening on Thursdays is also being reintroduced from 1 April, with centres staying open until 8pm to help the situation.

The HWRCs have been open for essential journeys only during lockdown but are operating at 50 per cent car parking capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Easter is traditionally a busy time for our household waste and recycling centres, but this year we are asking people to defer their visits until after Easter if they possibly can. If you are certain your visit is absolutely essential then you must be aware that you run the risk of facing long queues and the possibility that the centre might be closed early if these queues start to affect nearby highways.”

The traffic control measures are being brought in at the following sites and dates:

Drayton, near Abingdon: There will be no right turn into the site other than for golf club members. Traffic will then be directed and stacked through the Drayton Golf Club car park. Marshalls will be on hand to offer guidance.

These restrictions will operate on the following dates (inclusive):

• Friday 26 March to Monday 29 March
• Friday 2 April to Monday 5 April
• Friday 9 April to Monday 12 April

The site will operate normally Tuesday to Thursday, and at present it is intended to return to normal from 13 April.

Redbridge, Oxford: There will be no direct public access to the site off Old Abingdon Road. Traffic will be directed through the park-and-ride, following the road around the edge of the site and then being held and controlled at the exit which will be single file for the site (right-hand lane will be right turn only for the park-and-ride vehicles). Marshalls will be on hand at the exit of the park-and-ride and on Old Abingdon Road to offer guidance and direction.

These restrictions will operate on the following dates (inclusive):

• Friday 26 March to Monday 29 March
• Friday 2 April to Monday 5 April
• Friday 9 April to Sunday 11 April

The site will operate normally Tuesday to Thursday, and at present it is intended to return to normal from Monday, 12 April, when access to the park-and-ride will not be possible.

Stanford in the Vale, near Faringdon, and Ardley, near Bicester: Restrictions will be in place preventing vehicles turning right into the site. It is intended the signs and restrictions will be in place from Friday, 26 March, until at least 12 April. Residents need to take this into account and only enter both sites from the right-hand carriageway turning left into the site.

Although these are temporary measures, the main message remains that people should only visit the HWRCs for essential journeys and should defer visits until after Easter if they can. 

People who judge their journeys to be essential are urged to be patient and considerate to the HWRC staff and other users. Abuse of our site teams or marshalls will not be tolerated and may lead to refusal of entry and even banning orders. Please wear a mask on site if possible, keep your distance and, most importantly, stay safe.

Late night opening until 8pm on Thursdays are traditionally quieter periods and good way to avoid some of the queues. During the week, 8.30am until 10am and 12 noon - 1pm can also be quieter periods, although this cannot be guaranteed.

Householders are urged to maximise their kerbside collections rather than visit HWRCs. Residents can place additional recycling securely at the side of their bins, small electrical items – up to the size of a toaster – can also be put out separately with recycling collections.

HWRC users are asked to note the current site rules to ensure social distancing. These include: 

• One person allowed out the vehicle (two people if you have a heavy item). 
• We will only accept contactless payments for chargeable waste. 
• Site team members are currently not available to offer assistance, if you need assistance with items please bring someone else with you.

More information can be found in Oxfordshire County Council’s FAQS: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wastereopenquestions 

Oxfordshire County Council has once again been named the best performing county council waste disposal authority in England, according to new government figures released on 3 March 2021. Last year, residents recycled or composted 1.6 per cent more of their household waste than in the previous year. Nationally, the average for recycling in England rose by 0.9 per cent.

Overall, 58.8 per cent of household waste was recycled and composted in Oxfordshire last year, compared to 57.2 per cent the previous year. The national average was only 45.5 per cent according to the latest figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet member for Environment, said: “I would like to thank our residents who have done another great job of recycling so that the county keeps the top spot in the country. Oxfordshire councils provide really good waste collection and recycling services, but it is only because most people use them properly that we’re able to perform so well.”

Oxfordshire’s five district and city authorities have also achieved excellent results above the national average. South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse came second and joint third nationally, with recycling rates of 64 per cent and 63.3 per cent respectively.

Nearly 21,000 tonnes of food waste was recycled in 2019/20. Cherwell, West Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse, and South Oxfordshire district councils, and Oxford City Council, operate the kerbside collections of household recycling and waste, which Oxfordshire County Council then disposes of.

Vicky Beechey, Oxfordshire Resources and Waste Partnership Manager, said: “Residents have done a great job to continue to recycle through this challenging year, and we would like to thank the collection crews and staff at the recycling centres for their amazing efforts in managing so much more waste every week.

“For those looking to reduce their waste further, the Community Action Group network and Replenish project have lots of opportunities to get involved with local projects, and tips on how to reduce waste. Oxfordshire County Council also has the Waste Wizard, an online tool that can suggest places items can be repaired or donated, or which bin it needs to go in.”

Waste officers have said there is still a lot more to be done to improve recycling rates and the county council is keen to see further improvements as part of its goal to becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The Oxfordshire Resources and Waste Partnership of the district, city and county councils has a target to increase recycling to 70 per cent by 2030.

Cllr Constance added: “We’re not complacent. This year, more waste collected for recycling has been rejected than ever before due to the wrong waste being put into the wrong kerbside containers, such as textiles, nappies, and food being put in the mixed recycling bin.

“A huge amount of food waste is still being placed in the general waste bins – indeed, we know that around half the items placed in general waste could have been recycled using the services provided locally. So please check your local council website, make sure you’re recycling everything you can, and look for advice on how to reduce the amount of waste your household produces.”

COVID-19 has impacted how we all live and work, and indications are that with more of us spending more time at home, waste levels may be around five per cent (16,000 tonnes) higher this year. As well as the environmental impact of so much more waste, this has serious financial impacts for councils. Reducing the amount of waste we produce and recycling as much as we can is vitally important to protect our environment and free up funds to be spent on other council services.

Oxfordshire County Council is supporting the new national ‘Take Charge’ campaign, which calls on people to only dispose of dead batteries – dubbed ‘zombie batteries’ – by using specialist battery recycling services, and to never throw them away alongside general rubbish or other recycling.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “Everyone can play their part in ensuring the safety of both the public and that of the staff working at our waste and recycling centres by disposing of their dead batteries responsibly. Batteries are accepted at all of our HWRCs. You can also approach staff at your local centre if you have an item with a battery in it which you are unable to remove, rather than placing it directly into the container.”

Dead batteries are likely to be crushed or punctured once the waste is collected and processed. Some battery types, such as lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride, can ignite or even explode when they’re damaged, causing fires which can set light to other materials in the waste, such as paper and cardboard, putting lives at risk.

Lithium-ion batteries are often found in products like laptops, tablets, mobile phones, radio-controlled toys, Bluetooth devices, shavers, electric toothbrushes, power tools, scooters and even e-cigarettes.

The recycling and waste management trade body, the Environmental Services Association (ESA), which launched the campaign, said that between April 2019 and March 2020, lithium-ion batteries were thought to be responsible for more than 250 fires at its members’ facilities.

Executive Director of the ESA, Jacob Hayler, said: “Unfortunately, the majority of batteries thrown away in the UK at the moment are not recycled properly. Fires caused by carelessly discarded batteries endanger lives, cause millions of pounds of damage and disrupt waste services. We urge consumers to please recycle batteries responsibly by using widely available local battery recycling services.”

All seven of the county council’s HWRCs, operated by FCC Environment and W&S Recycling, accept batteries for recycling, while there are also many other local collection points around Oxfordshire. Batteries are also accepted by Oxford City, Cherwell, West Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse district councils. Residents can place them inside an envelope or clear bag on top of their bin on collection days. Waste Wizard can be used to check for specific information about kerbside collections.

HWRCs will remain open to the public during the period of increased COVID-19 restrictions, being brought in from 5 November - 2 December. Residents are asked to continue to maintain social distancing when using the centres, while being mindful of other residents and the teams working across the sites. The site at Redbridge in Oxford will, however, be closed to the public from 9 - 30 November due to essential repair work.

It will remain open to trade customers, as the central area which they use is unaffected and can operate as normal.

Extra staff will operate at household waste recycling centres around Oxfordshire to help with any increase in demand. The aim is to have the Redbridge site open again for the busy Christmas period.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment, said:

“I urge residents to plan ahead for this closure, either by storing their recycling and waste at home until Redbridge reopens or, ideally, by using one of neighbouring household waste recycling centres. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause but these are essential repairs that we can’t ignore. We thank you for your understanding.”

The closest alternative sites to Redbridge are:

• North: Ardley Fields - Brackley Road, Ardley (near Bicester) OX27 7PH
• West: Dix Pit - Linch Hill, Stanton Harcourt (near Witney) OX29 5BB
• South: Drayton - Steventon Road, Drayton (near Abingdon) OX14 4LA
• South: Oakley Wood – Old Icknield Way, Crowmarsh (near Wallingford) OX10 6PW

These sites may experience a higher volume of visits over this period and residents are asked to be patient when visiting them during this time. Full details can be found online including a postcode search function for alternative centres. Permits will be valid at any of our sites.

Residents who need to dispose of asbestos during this time can book into Dix Pit or Ardley recycling centres. Visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/asbestos to find out more and book.

For further information contact 01865 323870 or email Press.Office@Oxfordshire.gov.uk

Halloween and pumpkin consumption could be to blame for a big spike in the amount of household food waste. This means that October and November have the second and third highest volume of food waste after the Christmas peak.

A pumpkin can weigh 3-8 kilograms, so even if these were of the largest type, this could equate to 160,000 of them being thrown away in Oxfordshire alone, and a terrifying total of 12.8 million in Britain!

Yet so much of what is scooped out could be eaten. The message is simple: Carve it, Cook it, Eat it – many people are opting for a treat and eating the tasty insides of the scary faced vegetable rather than throwing it away as waste every year – which means money is not wasted and an added bonus it makes a delicious meal.

Councillor Constance, Cabinet member for the environment at Oxfordshire County Council said: “Eighteen thousand tonnes of pumpkin are thrown away across Britain each year.”

“In Oxfordshire, on average over the three-year period from 2017 to 2019 we dealt with around ten per cent more food waste during October and November, compared to September.

“Yet, with a bit of thought and creativity, pumpkins can have a useful life beyond Halloween. There are so many healthy and green alternatives to throwing them away.

“You can make delicious soups, curries, cakes and even pumpkin brownies. Make sure you visit the Pumpkin Festival Good Food Oxford website or Love Food Hate Waste for recipes.

“If you do decide to dispose of your pumpkins, remember to compost them at home or put them in your food recycling bin. Pumpkins and other food waste can be recycled and used for future uses such as electricity and fertiliser for local farm land.”

Festival of Pumpkins

To coincide with Halloween, the Oxfordshire Pumpkin Festival is returning for its seventh year with events taking place across the county run by Good Food Oxford and Hubbub. This year’s festival runs from Friday 23 October to Sunday 1 November 2020.

This annual event is a celebration of food: creatively encouraging people to think about the food they throw away, challenging preconceptions and teaching new skills.

November usually starts with a flood of pumpkins going to waste, but Good Food Oxford organisations are encouraging people to squash food waste by eating rather than discarding the flesh of their Halloween pumpkins.

The festival is packed full of different socially distanced events from start to finish. There is something for everyone, with activities including online cooking demos, farm tour at Tolhurst Organic, pumpkin carving and cooking, pumpkin awareness day, farmers’ and community market stalls.

This year, Good Food Oxford suggest that we look forward to next year and grow our own pumpkins which we will have more incentive to eat because we have put all the hard ghoul-ing work into it, or why not buy a locally grown, tastier pumpkin. All the events will promote seasonal eating and not wasting food, with online recipes and tips to reduce food waste.

The full festival programme is here: https://goodfoodoxford.org/oxfordshire-pumpkin-festival/

Hubbub UK is also hosting some recipes on its Instagram channel from the 26^th October, including ‘Thai pumpkin curry’, ‘How to #EatYourPumpkin’ and ‘Trick or Eating with Kids.’

The theme for the Waste and Resources Action Programme’s (WRAP) seventeenth annual Recycle Week is to thank the people of Oxfordshire for continuing to recycle despite all that has happened this year.

Statistics released by Recycle Now show that through lockdown, Britain has become even more environmentally aware, with nearly 9 in 10 households saying they regularly recycle.

Coming out of lockdown, more people are prepared to change their lifestyles to help the environment: 73%, up from 68% in 2019. An amazing 93% of households say they believe that “everyone has a responsibility to help towards cleaning up the environment.”

The figures come from research carried out during lockdown and an omnibus survey completed in July. The four district councils and the city council in Oxford operate the kerbside collections of household recycling and waste, which Oxfordshire County Council then disposes of.

In 2019, 58.62% of household waste was recycled in Oxfordshire overall against a national average of 44.8% according to figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

There is still though more we can all do to recycle more to help defeat both waste and climate change. You can now use a great tool launched this year called Waste Wizard to see what can be recycled where.

Peter Maddox, Director, WRAP, said:

“It’s fantastic to see that despite everything that has been thrown at them this year, more people than ever in Oxfordshire are taking responsibility for protecting the environment by choosing to recycle. This is something we can all do, wherever we live – an individual action that, when performed by everyone, adds up to a huge change.

“Oxfordshire’s recycling and waste workers have been real heroes too, providing the best service possible under the most difficult of circumstances. The recognition they received in the form of friendly waves, notes, cards and gifts left out for them is heart-warming proof of how Oxfordshire has cooperated.

“Recycle Week this year is an opportunity to thank everyone in Oxfordshire for continuing to recycle, whatever their circumstances and to celebrate the way we have all pulled together. There has been a positive leap forward in attitudes that we must capitalise on so Oxfordshire can do even better in the coming year!”

Oxfordshire County Council, businesses and other organisations are joining in with a range of activities to highlight the importance of recycling. Everyone – organisations and individuals - can support Recycle Week by using #RecycleWeek on social media.

Cllr Yvonne Constance, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment said:

“Oxfordshire is doing well at recycling and we thank residents for helping us but there is still a lot more to be done to improve recycling rates. Better recycling involves all of us and this will help us to attain our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The Oxford Environmental Partnership of the Oxfordshire district, city and county councils has a target to increase recycling to 70% by 2025. You can help us reach this goal by separating out your food waste as well as your plastics, glass metals and cardboard to make a real difference! Our Waste Wizard tool available on our website here can also advise you on what can be recycled and where.”

For more information about recycling and waste in Oxfordshire, please visit: www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/environment-and-planning/waste-and-recycling

For more information on Recycle Now, visit: www.recyclenow.com

All councils in Oxfordshire are appreciative that residents continue to show understanding of the changes that need to be made during these difficult times. All district councils are currently running good collection services and are able to collect and dispose of the vast majority of ‘everyday’ waste produced by residents. Please check your local councils’ website for the latest information and advice.

We would ask that residents store any waste that cannot be placed into their kerbside collections until HWRCs are open again. Where storing your waste is not practical, local businesses can remove your waste for an appropriate charge.

To ensure rogue traders are not used please always pay by card and ask in advance for contact details including vehicle registration and their Waste Carriers Certificate. Yellow pages, trust a trader and Which Trusted Traders are just some of the ways you can research a suitable trader. You may also want to consider taking a photo of the vehicle used to collect your waste, which no respectable contractor will object to. This will help prevent the risk of your waste then being flytipped.

There are already many ways to recycle small electrical items that are beyond repair either at the kerbside or a recycling centre. Funded by Valpak, the council is trialling drop off points for unwanted small electrical items that are still in good condition at a number of participating Oxfordshire libraries.

The trial will run at Banbury, Bicester, Kidlington, Witney, Carterton, Oxfordshire County Library, Headington, Cowley, Littlemore & Blackbird Leys libraries.

Once goods have been dropped off, the items will be collected by Bicester Green or Orinoco – two local charities who help reuse and recycle waste – where they will be tested. Minor repairs will be made by volunteers and the items will then be sold on to benefit the charities.

The drop off point is for small electrical items only – toasters, kettles, radios etc – items you can easily carry. The libraries are not able to accept anything large or heavy – such as televisions, monitors, microwaves, white goods or fridges and freezers – or anything damaged and beyond repair.

Drop offs can only be made when the libraries are open – please check opening hours before visiting.

We are asking residents to ensure any disposable batteries – i.e. standard AA/AAA/9V batteries – are removed from donations of battery powered devices. These can be recycled at the kerbside. If the item has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery – like the ones in cordless power tools or mobile phones – please leave them in the device when donated.

The start of this new service on Saturday 15^th February coincides with a national day of repair called The Big Fix. As well as the start of the trial drop off service, six repair cafes are taking place across the county. These are run by volunteer groups supported by Oxfordshire’s Community Action Group where residents can bring along old electrical goods and other items that need attention and have them repaired.

Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet Member for Environment said: “This is a great example of council teams and community organisations working together to improve the services we offer and to help conserve valuable natural resources. We are trying to create a culture of repair and reuse in Oxfordshire.”

Councillor Lorraine Lindsay-Gale, Cabinet Member for Education and Cultural Services said: “We are delighted to be able offer residents a convenient way to donate electrical items through local libraries and to save them from becoming waste.”

To find details of all recycling services using a newly launched search tool visit the Waste Wizard – www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wastewizard

To find your nearest electrical repair event and for other tips on how to reduce your waste visit www.oxfordshirerecycles.org.uk.

Waste Wizard is Oxfordshire County Council’s response to the evil spell that no-longer-needed items sometimes cast over residents when it’s time to recycle or reuse them. It also aims to defeat the menace that is contaminated recycling which cannot then be processed. We know our residents try hard to recycle well but we can do more to drive up what we recycle; around 50% of what goes in general waste bins could be recycled.

Waste Wizard is a fun and interactive online resource that allows anyone puzzled by the bin to type in the name of any item along with their postcode to find out whether it can be reused, repaired, donated, recycled or if it needs to go into a specific bin or collection to be disposed of properly.

We know that one of the biggest barriers to good recycling is confusion over which product to put in which bin. Some of the most commonly confused materials are plastics, crisp packets, pizza boxes and coffee cups. Common items that contaminate kerbside recycling bins include textiles and disposable nappies. Overall, food is the biggest product that could be recycled that is put in general waste bins. Waste Wizard aims to clarify exactly what and where goods can be recycled or given a new life which will help us all to improve recycling rates whilst cutting waste.

Defeat the evil General Waste

Over 58 per cent of all waste is reused, composted or recycled in Oxfordshire compared to the national rate of 45 per cent. But there is more that can be done than graphics show; the Waste Wizard can help you beat General Waste.

The tool will be promoted online via social media with the Waste Wizard and its nemesis General Waste turned into retro video-game characters. And while in the pictures the Wizard tries to zap the General, in real life it can help to:

• Boost the number of items that get repaired locally

• Increase the amount of items reused or donated

• Cut the contamination in kerbside recycling collection bins (currently 10%)

• Ensure anything that can’t be reused, repaired or donated is properly recycled

• Explain the responsible disposal of goods that cannot be recycled or repurposed

It can be found online at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wastewizard

One Wizard for less waste

County Councillor Yvonne Constance, Cabinet member for Environment, said:

“There’s lots of different ways to get rid of waste but you only need one Waste Wizard to make sure you do the right thing.

“We have come a long way since the first thought on everyone’s mind was to put unwanted things in the bin. And even with doorstep collections for a wide-range of items there’s often better things you can do.

“Thankfully the Waste Wizard has all the answers and if you are unsure at any time you can ask for some words of wisdom.

Producing waste has an impact on your carbon footprint and the Waste Wizard can help to show you ways of reducing your impact on the environment with little effort.

Although Oxfordshire is the best area in the UK for recycling, but there is still more that can be done to make the most of what would otherwise be regarded as rubbish.”

Play the game…

Around half of the waste put in the general waste bin – the bin for non-recyclable materials only – could actually be recycled. Further increasing the amount of waste that is recycled or composted would make a huge difference to the county’s figures and save precious resources from being wasted.

The county’s leading place is down to the commitment of our residents to reduce and dispose of waste responsibly. The County Council’s Waste Disposal Authority, together with the five district and city authorities in Oxfordshire, provide comprehensive services to maximise the amount of materials that can be collected for reuse, recycling and composting.

Oxfordshire also has a very active network of community action groups (CAGs) funded by the county council that help tackle and reduce waste, especially the Replenish network which is doing great work to tackle food waste.

Residents can use one of seven household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) across the county. This is part of the county council’s commitment to enhancing the quality of life in our communities and the protection of the local environment are top priorities.

Last year there appeared to be a ‘pumpkin peak’ for household food waste, making November second only to the January collection after the traditional Christmas binge.

While it’s great to see so many people using their food waste recycling service, so much of what is scooped out could be eaten. The message is simple: Carve it, Cook it, Eat it – what you might not realise is this scary face is actually a fresh tasty vegetable we throw away as waste every year – costing us money when it could make a nutritious meal.

Teresa Mitchell, Waste Manager at Oxfordshire County Council said:

“Around 18,000 tonnes of edible pumpkins are thrown away each year across the country. In Oxfordshire in 2018, we dealt with significantly more food waste in November after Halloween, compared to October. This could be as a result of pumpkin mush going to waste.

“Yet, with a bit of thought and creativity, pumpkins can have a useful life beyond Halloween. There are so many healthy and green alternatives to throwing them away.

“We are proud to support Good Food Oxford’s Pumpkin Festival and as well as the events they are holding there are lots of recipes available to make delicious soups, curries, cakes and even pumpkin brownies.

“If you are not tempted by any of the delicious recipes, please remember to put your pumpkin in your food recycling bin only and not in your mixed recycling or rubbish bin. It costs more than three times more to dispose of food waste in rubbish bins and risks having lots of waste rejected at recycling plants if included within recycling. Pumpkins and other food waste can be recycled and used to produce electricity and fertiliser for local farm land.”

Oxford Pumpkin Festival

To coincide with Halloween, the Oxford Pumpkin Festival is returning for its sixth year with events across the city run by Good Food Oxford and Hubbub. This year’s festival runs to 3 November 2019.

This annual event is a celebration of food: creatively encouraging people to think about the food they throw away, challenging preconceptions and teaching new skills.

November usually starts with a flood of pumpkins going to waste, but Good Food Oxford organisations are encouraging people to “squash food waste” by eating rather than discarding the flesh of their Halloween pumpkins.

The festival is packed full of different events from start to finish. There is something for everyone, with activities including a pumpkin party, pumpkin-themed market stalls and pub menus, surplus food cook-ups, bonfires, live music and much more.

All the events will promote seasonal eating and not wasting food, accompanied by recipe cards with easy tips to reduce food waste.

The full festival programme is here: http://goodfoodoxford.org/oxford-pumpkin-festival

This is part of the council’s planned approach to maintenance, and is designed to keep sites safe, looking clean and fresh and helping improve the customer experience when using these much valued facilities.

Only one site will be closed at any one time and all other sites will be open on those days. Residents are asked to plan ahead for these closures, ideally holding on to your waste until the site reopens or if that is not possible visiting one of the neighbouring sites.

Site Closure Dates 

• Alkerton - Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th May
• Ardley - Tuesday 14th & Wednesday 15th May
• Drayton - Thursday 16th & Friday 17th May
• Stanford - Tuesday 21st & Wednesday 22nd May
• Oakley Wood- Thursday 23rd & Friday 24th May
• Redbridge - Wednesday 29th & Thursday 30th May

For those residents with permits, please note that these can be used at any of the sites.

Steve Burdis, Principal Officer for the County Council Waste Team said ‘The deep cleans of our sites enable us to carry out essential cleaning and maintenance including jet washing the sites and structures, repainting lines and safety areas, along with other general and grounds maintenance ahead of the busy summer months.

“All closures are on quieter midweek days to minimise disruption and sites will reopen at 8am the following day. For practical and safety reasons we need to close the sites for this short period and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank residents for their understanding.”

Notes to Editors etc

All sites included in this programme are operated under contract by W&S Recycling. This work is a contractual requirement and was introduced when the Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) contract was re-let in October 2017.

List of Household Waste Recycling Centres addresses, including postcodes for Sat Nav’s

• Alkerton HWRC, Stratford Road Nr Banbury, OX15 6HZ
• Ardley HWRC, Brackley Road, Ardley, OX27 7PH
• Dix Pit, Linch Hill, Stanton Harcourt, OX29 5BB
• Drayton HWRC, Steventon Road, Drayton, Nr Abingdon, OX14 4LA
• Oakley Wood HWRC, Henley Road, Crowmarsh Nr Wallingford, OX10 6PW
• Redbridge HWRC, Old Abingdon Road, Oxford, OX1 4XG
• Stanford HWRC, Faringdon Road, Stanford in the Vale, SN7 8LD

Please note that Dix Pit HWRC which is operated by FCC Environment is not included in this round of Deep Cleans

We have over 60 Community Action Groups across the county, the largest network of its kind in the UK. Around 80, 000 residents got involved in community action last year. Many of the projects help us reduce waste and carbon emissions, re-use items and recycle more. These groups of volunteers offer and exchange skills and services that we all need when trying to improve our environment and communities.

Unique network that keeps on growing

Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Yvonne Constance, said “All these people are volunteering their time, energy and expertise for the good of the community and to increase sustainability. Oxfordshire County Council are very proud to support those who are coming up with creative ways to make Oxfordshire a better place to live.”

The project started in 2001 and the network just kept on growing. Now they organise over 2000 events per year with local people contributing 21,000 volunteer hours to the county. The Community Action Group Project offers support, advice and training to people setting up and running their activities and funding to get things off the ground. The CAG Project in Oxfordshire is currently funded by Oxfordshire County Council (£92,000 a year). The total financial output of the project is over £1.2 million which equates to an incredible 13:1 return on investment. The project also generated over £800,000 of income in grants, sales, donations and community-owned renewables.

Alice Hemming, Community Project Coordinator said: “Oxfordshire has such a strong network of community environmental groups due to the pioneering work of its citizens, and the leadership of the county council in supporting The CAG Project for many years. This has created a network that is unique in the UK, with thriving groups supported by shared resources (such as safety equipment, thermal imaging cameras, and apple presses) and staff mentoring, support and training.”

Thousands of events to choose from

In 2016/17, CAG Network activities led to 67 tonnes of waste being prevented and 52 tonnes of carbon emissions being avoided. Groups work in diverse areas such as carbon reduction, waste, transport, food, energy, biodiversity and social justice.

There are festivals like Tandem, food co-ops, community gardens, orchards and allotments, a farm-based programme for people with autism and learning disabilities, an eco-park, swap shops, as well as conservation and art groups. Through “Incredible Edible” initiatives people grow, cook and share healthy food locally. Food surplus cafes reduce waste by using surpluses that would have gone in the bin to make healthy nutritious meals using a pay as you wish system. SESI is a social enterprise which supplies organic, fair-trade and local food, as well as sustainable, locally made detergents which people can refill into their own container.

A recent example of the exciting work going on across Oxfordshire is Sustainable Didcot’s Repair Café. The first event last weekend was to match people who have broken household items with expert volunteers who love to fix things. Ed Polehampton from Sustainable Didcot explains, “We’ve been assembling a team of enthusiastic volunteers who have expertise in electrical items, computers, watches, clocks, and clothes and fabrics. We’ll also be able to glue broken things and sharpen tools. The volunteers are keen to share their knowledge, and we’re aiming for a relaxed social atmosphere with tea, coffee and cakes provided!”.

Similar “sustainable” groups exist in Blewbury, Kirtlington, Leafield, Wallingford, Wantage, Witney, Wheatley and Woodstock.

If there’s not already a Community Action Group in your area, you could be the spark that starts the action where you are. There are a whole range of ways to make a difference with your friends and neighbours. Some groups take action by working to prevent plastic pollution, others by insulating peoples’ homes or growing fruit and veg. You can see information on the existing Community Action Groups on our website. The CAG Oxfordshire Project is managed by independent environmental consultancy Resource Futures.

Check upcoming events here: http://cagoxfordshire.org.uk/events/

Cllr Yvonne Constance is Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment said: “Disposable plastics are everywhere. There are now more fast-food outlets, more shops resorting to packaging and plastics. Not all packaging is bad, as it can protect food and make it last longer, reducing food waste, but the key is to reduce, re-use and recycle. We hope to make the younger generation more aware of the impact of plastic on the environment. We are asking them and others to give us their views, ideas and tips on how we can make it easier for people to use less plastic and other materials, increase the amounts recycled and dispose of them properly”

Our Recycling team put together these top tips to kick the plastic habit while putting some money on your pocket too:

1-Remember your reusable bags when you go shopping.

2-Invest in a reusable water bottle (stainless steel bottles are more sustainable than plastic).

3-If you like a takeaway coffee, treat yourself to a reusable mug, you can get collapsible ones to fit easily in your bag, or ones made from bamboo if you want to avoid more plastic. Disposable coffee cups are lined with plastic and hard to recycle.

4-Look for products with less packaging, or no packaging, such as fruit or vegetables. Local markets can be a great place to shop, and you can reduce the amount of packaging you buy.

5-Buy concentrated products and refill packs instead of fully packaged products, such as fabric conditioner, washing powders and some beauty products – this can save you money too. Community Action Groups like Sesi provide refill stations in Oxford (https://www.facebook.com/sesi.oxford)

6- Remember to recycle the packaging you do have. While 90% of packaging is recycled in the kitchens, only 50% is being recycled in the bathroom. Shampoo, conditioner, make up, hand wash and cleaning product bottles can all be recycled (please remove the pump trigger).

7-Where possible, buy larger or economy sizes of goods such as breakfast cereal, tomato ketchup, toilet rolls and soap powder. This can save money and creates less packaging in the long run.

Many of us have watched David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II and were shocked to see the devastating threat posed by plastics to our oceans. Lots of people are passionate about recycling and reducing waste and are busy participating in the survey, which closes on 18^th February. But recycling habits vary from generation to generation. Those aged 16 to 34 are the least likely to recycle, according to a recent survey by Serco Environmental Services and Future Thinking. Nationally, just 48% of millennials said they recycle all they can, a fall of 8% year on year. We also want to hear from them. All the councils in Oxfordshire are working together to seek your views on how we can help you to reduce the amount you throw away, and recycle more. Click here to respond to the consultation: www.recycleforoxfordshire.org.uk

Oxfordshire County Council and its partner Viridor have marked the one millionth tonne of residual waste received at Ardley this week.

Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Yvonnne Constance, said: “I am delighted to see the Ardley Energy Recovery Facility reach this milestone. The service this facility provides in converting waste produced by the residents of Oxfordshire into valuable electricity is excellent. I look forward to continuing to work with Viridor to maximise even further the environmental benefits the ERF brings, particularly energy generation.”

Viridor’s Managing Director of Major Contracts, Chris Jonas, said the company was proud to recognise this landmark moment with its long-term partner in Oxfordshire: “Viridor and Oxfordshire County Council share a goal of recycling first and taking the residual waste – that which cannot be recycled – and giving it a new purpose. In this case this was achieved by transforming the non-recyclable waste into renewable energy and diverting more than 95% from landfill. We have also created an award-winning education centre where future generations are taught the value of recycling and the vital role it plays in partnership with renewable energy. It is here that many people hear about the waste hierarchy – and the need to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover – for the first time.”

Reduce, reuse, recycle, compost and turn waste into electricity

Councilor Yvonne Constance takes the "hot seat" in the Control Room at Ardley

Oxfordshire leads the country in recycling and composting and also not producing waste in the first place. Oxfordshire Country Council and Viridor are encouraging more people to book visits to Ardley’s ERF to find out how renewable electricity is produced and how it complements everything we do to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost as much of our waste as possible.

Construction of the Ardley ERF began next to the existing landfill site on 16 November 2011 with the first waste received at the site on 5 June 2014. In April 2014 Viridor announced the closure of the landfill site after 35 years so that the non-recyclable waste could be used as an energy from waste resource instead. The ERF produces enough energy to power 38,000 homes and can export up to 27MW per hour of electricity to the grid.

Ardley ERF Operations Manager Jim Thompson, Viridor Regional Contracts Manager Paul Rowland, Viridor’s Managing Director of Major Contracts Chris Jonas, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Environment Yvonnne Constance and Oxfordshire County Council Strategic Manager (Waste and Transport) Andrew Pau.

Oxfordshire County Council, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse staff have been attending events every day to promote recycling, reducing and re-using and generally answering queries from residents.

At Charlton Park Garden Centre in Wantage Jude Owen a Master Composter gave useful advice on how to make good compost and some very particular advice on how to re-use McDonalds paper cups in the garden as, sadly, they cannot be recycled.

On another day, Linda Brawn, a LFHW (Love Food Hate Waste) champion, joined officers Asda Wheatley. Linda was encouraging residents to produce less food waste and a top tip from the day was using the tops of leeks and potato peelings to make leek and potato soup.

Venues attended are listed below

Charlton Park Garden Centre, Wantage

Waitrose in Faringdon

Tesco in Henley

Asda in Wheatley

Waitrose in Wallingford

Market Place, Abingdon (Abingdon Local excellence market)

Andrew Pau, Strategic Manager Waste & Transport, Oxfordshire County Council said:  “On average, each person in the UK buys almost three new electrical items each year creating 1 million tonnes of electrical and electronic waste of which only 30% is recycled.  The aim of our campaign is to remind people to consider recycling electricals or purchasing reconditioned items.

“It's really easy to recycle your old electrical items.  Many of your unwanted electrical items can be recycled, reconditioned or re-sold.  Electrical items can be reused in new appliances and reconditioned items can be just as good as brand new ones.”

Local events

As part of the campaign, district councils across Oxfordshire are hosting a number of events to raise awareness of recycling household waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE):

• 14 April, 9.30-1pm, WEEE roadshow, Witney Market Square
• 14 April, 9-1pm, WEEE roadshow, Banbury Market Place
• 15 April, 8.30-12.30, WEEE promotion at Abingdon Farmers Market
• 15 April, 9-1pm, WEEE roadshow, Bicester Sheep Street
• 16 April, 9.30-11am, Wallingford Swap Shop, The Regal Centre
• 19 April, 8.30-12.30pm, WEEE promotion at Thame Market
• 20 April, 8.30-1pm, WEEE promotion at Wantage Market
• 21 April, 9.30-1pm, WEEE promotion at Carterton Market Square
• 21 April, 9.30-11am, WEEE roadshow, Blackbird Leys Community Centre, Oxford
• 23 April, 8.30-1pm, WEEE Swap Shop, The Beacon, Portway, Wantage.

How to recycle small electricals

Seven Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs)  in Oxfordshire are registered as collection points for household waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) such as hairdryers, toasters or irons.

Some district councils also collect small electrical items from the kerbside. For more information please visit:

• Cherwell District Council
• Oxford City
• South Oxfordshire District Council
• Vale of White Horse District Council
• West Oxfordshire District Council

What happens to recycled electricals?

Old electrical and battery operated items can be recycled and turned into new things.

Once collected the items are broken up and the different types of plastic and metals are recycled into new products.

For more information

To find out where you can recycle your electricals, fix your broken electricals and buy reconditioned items in Oxfordshire visit www.recycleforoxfordshire.org.uk