Cumberland Council is informing residents that Recycle Week is back from 22–28 September 2025, and this year the focus is on overcoming the barriers that prevent people from recycling as much as they can.
Organised by WRAP (The Waste and Resources Action Programme), Recycle Week aims to raise public awareness of recycling, explain why it matters, and inspire everyone to recycle more of the right things.
WRAP’s research shows that while the majority of people in the UK want to recycle, confusion remains one of the biggest challenges. Almost half of households (49%) are unsure whether certain items can be recycled. This uncertainty leads to:
- Wish-cycling – placing non-recyclable items in the recycling bin in the hope they will be sorted later.
- Missed opportunities – where recyclable materials end up in general waste rather than being collected for recycling.
Every year, billions of everyday items – from foil trays and yoghurt pots to aerosol cans and shampoo bottles – are lost to landfill or incineration, despite being widely collected at the kerbside.
Recycle Week 2025 aims to change this by cutting through the confusion and showing residents that these “forgotten recyclables” do belong in their recycling bin.
As part of the campaign, WRAP’s Rescue Me! Recycle initiative is back. This playful and memorable campaign gives a ‘voice’ to everyday items that are too often thrown away, turning them into characters with their own personalities to remind us that they are recyclable.
This year, three brand-new members will join the Rescue Me family, alongside the existing familiar characters. Each item featured is widely recyclable, but still ends up in the bin far too often. By putting the spotlight on these “lost recyclables,” the campaign encourages residents to “rescue” them and recycle correctly.
Cumberland Council is urging all residents to take part in Recycle Week 2025 and help ensure that more recyclable materials are captured, reducing waste and protecting the environment.