Residents encouraged to 'Rescue, Recycle!' this Recycle Week

Residents encouraged to 'Rescue, Recycle!' this Recycle Week

Residents are being encouraged to brush up on their recycling knowledge and get involved in Recycle Week, the UK's biggest annual celebration of recycling. 

Taking place from 14th - 20th September, Recycle Week brings together councils, businesses, community groups, and residents from across the country to raise awareness of the importance of recycling and encouraging people to recycle more of the items they use every day. 

With the campaign returning for the 22nd year, the popular ‘Rescue Me, Recycle!’ theme has continued, using engaging characters to highlight the everyday items that can be recycled but often mistakenly thrown away.  

Councillor Paul Kenny, portfolio holder for planning, environmental services, and transport, said: “Recycle Week is a fantastic opportunity for all of us to take a closer look at the items we use every day and make sure we're recycling as much as possible. With changes to recycling collections and packaging requirements introduced this year, it's more important than ever that residents understand what can be recycled and how to do it correctly. By making small changes to our daily habits, we can help protect the environment, reduce waste and ensure valuable materials are given a second life.” 

Managed by WRAP NGO, this year’s Recycle Week comes at an important time following significant changes to recycling services and packaging regulations introduced across the country this year, with the campaign aiming to help residents understand how to recycle correctly and make the most of local recycling services. 

The campaign also helps to strengthen the work that is being done locally, with Wigan Council launching our Recycling A-Z guide earlier this year, providing residents with clear, simple advice to quickly find the right recycling and waste disposal information. 

The council also appointed a new mixed recycling contractor this year to allow residents to recycle more items in their brown bin, aiming to make waste removal more simple, efficient, and economical. 

Please read more information about Recycle Week 2026, the council also provides a Recycling A-Z.