Reading Borough Council says more than two-thirds of grey bin waste could be recycled.

The council has made this revelation to coincide with the start of Recycle Week 2024.

According to figures from re3, 68 per cent of what is put in Reading's grey bins could be recycled.

The council wants residents to be more mindful when throwing items into bins, urging them to explore alternative uses for items or dispose of them correctly.

This includes food waste, textiles, and glass.

Lead councillor for environmental services and community safety, Karen Rowland, said: "We know many residents in Reading appreciate the importance of recycling to help keep waste from unnecessarily going to landfill.

"But the figures show that despite this, two-thirds of what goes in Reading’s grey bins should have been recycled through other means.

"This comes at a tremendous cost to the council in disposing of waste.

"So we’re asking residents to get creative and think more carefully when they go to put anything in their bin as to whether it could be repurposed or if it should go somewhere else instead."

Re3's recycling centres can process more than 25 different material streams, from large appliances and furniture to smaller items like coffee pods, batteries, and vapes.

Batteries and vapes, which have caused five fires at the re3 centre this year, are not to be disposed of in home bins due to the risk of fire.

Help for confused residents is at hand with the re3 Scrapp App, a free recycling app that offers location-specific recycling guidance by scanning product barcodes.

Ms Rowland said: "If we all start thinking more when we dispose of an item and make small adjustments to our habits, together we can recycle so much more, minimise our impact on the environment, save valuable resources, and reduce disposal costs."

Recycle Week, organised by Recycle Now, is in its 21st year and celebrates the UK's recycling habits.

Senior campaign manager for Recycle Now, Craig Stephens, said: "We are delighted that Reading Borough Council is supporting Recycle Week.

"Most people are recycling, and the material we capture has a multitude of uses, so the next step is to ensure everyone captures everything they can.

"Every aerosol, every trigger spray bottle, every plastic pot and toilet roll tube: Rescue – recycle."

Research by Recycle Now indicates that nine out of ten people in the UK regularly recycle, but 79 per cent still put items that can be recycled into the bin.