Podcast: Joy Blizzard, waste initiatives officer for Shropshire Council, talks to The Severn’s Neil Bentley about Recycle Now week, which runs until Sunday.

Adults and children in Shrewsbury are being encouraged to learn more about recycling as part of a country-wide initiative.

The national Recycle Now Week started on Monday and runs until Sunday. It is supported by Shropshire Council, which has arranged events around the county to tie in with it. The activities are being run in partnership with Veolia Environmental Services and volunteers from Shropshire’s Master Composters.

They began yesterday in The Square, Shrewsbury, between 10am and 4pm. It was the first roadshow event focused on encouraging people to get advice on topics such as composting, rubbish reduction and reusing waste.

Another event will be held at Meole Brace School in Shrewsbury as part of its science day on Saturday.

It will be held between 11am and 5pm.

Other roadshows are planned by the council at Oswestry Market on June 22, as well as Bridgnorth Market on Friday.

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Both of these events will run on their respective days between 9am and 3pm.

Councillor John Hurst-Knight, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for waste, urged people to support the scheme.

Councillor Hurst-Knight said: “Recycle Now Week is a great chance to remind people about the importance of recycling.

“Shropshire residents have done a great job by recycling over half of their rubbish but with the costs of landfill rising each year there is still more we can to reduce the rubbish we send to landfill which will help save money and the environment.”

For more information about recycling in Shropshire visit www.recyclefor shropshire.com

This year’s Recycle Now Week, which has been organised by the national Waste and Resources Action Programme, has taken the theme of Recycling – Home and Away.

It aims to reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill sites in the UK and increase recycling rates by highlighting what people can do in their homes, workplaces or while out and about.

Shropshire Council says one good way of meeting this goal is to reuse and donate items.

One of the aims of the initiative is to encourage schools to get involved with spreading the message about the importance of recycling.

Organisers hope to see pupils and staff across the country setting up and running their own recycling schemes, with everyone at each school participating in them.

By Chris Burn