'Recycle' is given new meaning

Bikes, wood flooring and Christmas trees can all be recycled, but these are just some of the more bizarre items that have ended up in paper and packaging banks recently.

Bins contaminated with the wrong items could mean that the whole contents of the bin can’t be recycled, so it’s important that the correct items go in the paper and packaging banks.

Although bikes, trees and wood weren’t right for the paper and packaging banks, these items and many more can be recycled through Edinburgh’s recycling services and local charities.

Your old bike could be kept on the road by donating it to the Bike Station. Visit www.thebikestation.org.uk to find out how.

Wood is collected for recycling at the city’s four Community Recycling Centres at Braehead, Craigmillar, Seafield and Sighthill.

Even trees can be recycled by taking them to Community Recycling Centres.

You could cut them up and place them in your garden waste bin if you have one.

They’ll then be turned into compost which nourishes public parks.

You can find a full list of items that can be reused or recycled by visiting the Changeworks website at www.changeworks.org.uk and viewing their ‘too good to waste’ section.

Last year almost 6,000 tonnes of paper and packaging was collected in banks.

With your help to get it sorted, we can collect even more this year.

Below is a list of the items you can place in paper and packaging banks, and those we can’t accept...

Please remember to wash and squash your plastic bottles and break down cardboard boxes and packaging.
This means your recycling will take up less room and we can collect even more in packaging banks.