Local authorities, waste management companies and charities across the country are gearing up to run events as part of this year's Recycle Week, which will be held next week with the theme 'Let's Waste Less'.

And, householders and businesses are already being invited to make a 'pledge' online to reduce the amount of waste they create or recycle more via the Recycle Week website being run by WRAP's Recycle Now campaign.

In Cherwell, (from left to right) Morrisons' store manager Satnam Leihal, councillor George Reynolds and Russell Varnals of bin manufacturer RS Fabrications with the new battery bin which is being installed today (June 19)

While the sixth annual Recycle Week event has been given a waste prevention focus by WRAP (see letsrecycle.com story), councils are planning to run events dealing with everything from reducing the use of single-use carrier bags to encouraging battery recycling.

Cherwell

In Oxfordshire, Cherwell district council is teaming up with Morrisons in Banbury with the aim of increasing the number of people using the supermarket's on-site recycling facilities, and also to boost home recycling.

The council is installing a new battery bin which it said would take "pride of place" outside the supermarket's entrance, and it will have a promotions trailer at the site next week to give shoppers advice on recycling, composting, energy efficiency and litter issues, as well as allowing them to buy new recycling boxes and bins.

Cherwell council's portfolio holder for environment, recreation and health, councillor George Reynolds, said: "We are very pleased to have the support of Morrisons in our drive to recycle more.

He added: "I would like to congratulate our environmental team and the store manager for arranging this and hope it is the beginning of a successful partnership."

York

Meanwhile, City of York council is offering tips and advice on its website to help residents who do make a pledge on the Recycle Week website to succeed in their goals.

Elizabeth Parker, from the council's waste strategy team, said: "This Recycle Week everyone's invited to make a pledge to waste less. The easy-to-achieve pledges are a great way to show your commitment to reducing waste and can even save you money."

As part of the York and North Yorkshire Waste Partnership, the council has also produced a practical guide, 'Let's Talk Less Rubbish', which is available via its website and offices, while the partnership is also promoting a variety of waste minimisation events across the region.

These range from a 'cook-off' between secondary schools in Scarborough, which is being held next Wednesday (June 24), to 'Bag-Free' day at Richmond's Co-Op store on Friday (June 26), where partnership staff will stop shoppers and give them the chance to swap their plastic bag for a reuseable one.

Veolia

Veolia's recycling team in Sheffield prepare for next week's bag amnesty events

Reducing single-use bag use is also the theme of a two-day plastic bag amnesty being held by Veolia Environmental Services in Sheffield next Friday (June 27) and Saturday (June 28) where residents can exchange single use bags for a 'Bag for Life'.

The event will be preceded by Veolia's recycling experts appearing at roadshows across the city throughout the week to encourage residents to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Kate Hodgson, waste awareness officer for the company in Sheffield, said: "We are committed to increasing recycling in the city and, by distributing more 'Bags for Life' to local shoppers, it will hopefully encourage residents to say no to the plastics bags offered in stores and use a recycling bag instead."

East Sussex

On the South Coast, East Sussex county council is working in partnership with the five district and borough councils in East Sussex to launch a new campaign next week which aims to encourage residents to keep recycling by dispelling "rumours" that material sent for recycling is either being stored or sent to landfill.

The campaign will involve posters being displayed in libraries, council reception areas and household waste recycling centres, and a spokesman for the county council said: "Maximising recycling in East Sussex is a priority for us."

He added: "The percentage of waste being recycled in the county has risen from 29% in 2006/07 to nearly 33% in 2007/08. We would like to thank residents for their efforts to reduce, reuse and recycle but it would be fantastic if we could recycle even more."

Textiles

Liga, export manageress for the Northallerton textiles initiative, inspects clothes

Textile recycling is the focus of Suffolk Waste Partnership's plans for next week, and there are holding a "huge" Clothes Swap shop event at Sproughton Tithe Barn on Tuesday (June 23) evening.

Residents will be able to drop off between one and ten items of clothing, shoes or jewellery at the event and to then "swap 'til you drop", while there will also be collection banks to accept end-of-life textiles for recycling and a team of recycling officers on hand to offer tips and advice on waste minimisations.

Charity

Charity Yorkshire Cancer Research is also using Recycle Week to launch its new textile recycling initiative, which will see it collaborate with Northallerton-based textile recycler Bag2TheFuture to offer a free collection service for unwanted textiles.

The service will be available for individuals, companies, schools and community groups looking to dispose of 20 bags of unwanted textiles and the charity has said that it will receive £400 for every tonne of textiles collected.

The head of community fundraising at Yorkshire Cancer Research, Sally Crerar, said: "We want to encourage people to come together either at work or with friends and family, to dispose of unwanted items in a way that will help the environment and also help raise funds for research into the causes and cures of cancer".

WRAP is inviting people interested in running an event next week to check out its campaign guide here