WHETHER it’s putting up new shelves, dismantling old cupboards or general decorating, the Easter weekend is a good time for many to start doing a spot of DIY. Buckinghamshire’s recycling centres offer a range of services which can help.
The county has ten household waste recycling centres that are now open from 9am to 6pm until 30 September, and 9am to 5pm from 1 October to 31 March 2013.
Steven Adams, Buckinghamshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said:”People often don’t realise that much of the DIY rubbish they create can be recycled. Our recycling centres allow residents to recycle everything from cardboard boxes to old kettles and fridges. This will help us to ensure valuable materials are not sent to landfill, but recycled into new materials.”
Simple top tips to help home DIY-ers recycle as much of their waste as possible include:
* Cardboard boxes - In recent years there has been a surge in the amount of furniture bought as flat packs, much of which comes packaged in large amounts of cardboard. The same piece of cardboard can be recycled up to five times.
* Bricks and building rubble may be reused in construction. Bricks, stones and other building materials that are in good condition can be sold, donated or re-used. Building materials are always in demand so advertise in local papers or community notice boards.
* All kinds of textiles can be recycled at the household waste and recycling centres. A wide range of textiles can be easily recycled, including curtains, bedding, towels, handbags, cloths, rugs and mats.
* Glass bottles and jars can be recycled at the recycling centre. Simply make sure they are clean and remove any tops or corks. Glass can be recycled again and again without loosing its clarity or purity.
* Wood can be found throughout the home in the form of skirting boards, doorframes, old wooden furniture or bed frames. Wood can easily be recycled into chipboard or Medium-density fibreboard (MDF).
* Plasterboard can be recycled at the following recycling centres in Buckinghamshire: Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, High Heavens and Langley. Plasterboard can be recycled into new plasterboard.