Recycle Week is back – and this year it’s all about overcoming the barriers that stop people recycling more of what they can. Running from the 22nd - 28th September, we will be raising public awareness of recycling, why it’s worthwhile and inspiring people to recycle more of the right things.
WRAP’s research shows that the vast majority of people in the UK want to recycle, but confusion remains one of the biggest barriers. Almost half of households (49%) say they’re uncertain about whether particular items can be recycled. This leads to two problems:
- Wish-cycling – where people put non-recyclable items in the bin in the hope they’ll be sorted later.
- Missed opportunities – where perfectly recyclable materials end up in general waste instead of being captured.
Every year, billions of everyday items – from foil trays and yoghurt pots to aerosol cans and shampoo bottles – are lost to landfill or incineration, even though most councils collect them at the kerbside.
This is where Recycle Week 2025 steps in. The campaign focuses on cutting through the confusion and showing residents that these “forgotten recyclables” really do have a place in their recycling bin.
To tackle this, WRAP’s Rescue Me! Recycle campaign is back, giving a voice to everyday items that too often get binned instead of recycled.
Rescue Me! Recycle – giving recyclables a voice
Rescue Me! Recycle brings to life some of the most common “lost recyclables” by turning them into characters with their own personalities and voices. The campaign makes recycling fun and memorable, while cutting through confusion about what can and can’t be recycled.
This year we will be announcing three new members of the Rescue Me family, they will join the existing characters already familiar to residents:
- Trigger: our easily triggered trigger spray
- Deo: our exercise mad aerosol
- Fru: our shy and retiring yoghurt pot
- Spritz: our chic aftershave/perfume bottle
- And finally, Hube, our humble toilet roll tube
Each of these items is widely recyclable, yet millions still end up in the bin every year. By highlighting these forgotten items in a playful but clear way, the campaign encourages people to “rescue” them for recycling instead of sending them to landfill.
The role of local authorities
Local authorities are at the heart of making this campaign work. While the characters capture national attention, it’s councils who provide the local detail that residents need. WRAP’s research shows that consistent, trusted communication from councils is key to helping people recycle with confidence.
How to get involved
Recycle Week works best when national and local voices combine. Councils can play a big role in amplifying the campaign:
- Use the FREE Recycle Week toolkit: Available from Recycle Now, it includes digital assets, posters, social media graphics, videos, and suggested copy.
- Bring the characters to life locally: Share the Rescue Me! Recycle videos and graphics on your channels, and adapt them to include your authority’s recycling information.
- Engage on social media: Join the national conversation with #RecycleWeek and #RecycleNow while showcasing your local initiatives.
- Encourage citizens to check the Recycling Locator to find out what else they can recycle in addition to the key items.
- Work across departments: Encourage waste, environment, schools, and comms teams to promote consistent messages throughout the week.
- Celebrate your crews and communities: Use the week to spotlight local recycling champions, schools, and collection teams who make recycling possible every day.
Looking ahead
Recycle Week 2025 is about more than one item – it’s about overcoming the everyday barriers that stop people recycling more, more often. By supporting the Rescue Me! Recycle campaign, local authorities can cut through confusion, reduce contamination, and show residents just how much of their waste really can be recycled.
Let’s turn waste into a cast of unforgettable characters, and recycling into a national rescue mission.
Follow us @RecycleNow and use #RescueMeRecycle #RecycleWeek
