This Recycle Week ‘Don’t let it go to waste’ and make the most of your recycling efforts.
Recycle week 2025: 22nd - 28th September.
This year, we’re recycling a campaign that really delivered.
Our Recycle Week campaign, ‘Don’t let it go to waste’, made a big impact in 2024 - so we’re bringing it back for 2025. It continues to celebrate the efforts we make to recycle in Scotland, while highlighting the importance of putting the right things in the right bins. It’s a reminder not to let our hard work (or the items we recycle) go to waste.
Last year, Zero Waste Scotland published the Household Waste Composition Analysis, a major study examining the makeup of household waste collected at the kerbside across Scotland. The findings revealed that over half (52%) of kerbside waste could have been recycled, showing that recycling services are not being used as effectively as they could be.
In response, we developed a comprehensive toolkit based on this research, packed with engaging and inspiring materials to encourage positive recycling behaviours.
The following assets are available to download and localise for use throughout Recycle Week 2025:
Don't let it go to waste
Our hero film – ‘Don’t let it go to waste’ – acknowledges the current efforts that households make to recycle, whilst also showing the fact that over half of what we put in general waste could have been recycled. These videos are all accompanied with subtitles, so they can be used when sound isn’t available such as use on digital screens in public information centres.
The hero film is 47 seconds long with cutdowns of 30 second, 15 second and 10 second versions available. It can be used on your website or social media channels.
Recycle Week toolkit
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This toolkit was created to give an overview of all the Recycle Week 2024 assets.
Recycle Week posters
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These posters include paper and cardboard, plastics, metals and food waste recycling. Poster templates can be tailored to include statistics that are relevant to individual local authorities. The ‘Recycle for Scotland’ logo can also be substituted with the appropriate local variant.
If you are planning on putting posters up after Recycle Week, use this version as it doesn't feature the Recycle Week label.
Downloads
A link is included in the download for design files.
Social media assets - material stream/contamination
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These digital recycling assets are available for use on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X. These assets have been designed to remind people to recycle correctly, by focusing on material streams such as paper and card, plastics, food, and metals.
The assets include a focus on contamination such as glass recycling, packaging on food waste and the wrong items in the wrong bin.
Templates can be tailored to include statistics that are relevant to individual local authorities. The ‘Recycle for Scotland’ logo can also be substituted with the appropriate local variant.
Downloads
Recycle Week animations
Our animations spotlight key contaminates that can often ruin our recycling, this includes greasy pizza boxes, food covered items and different types of plastics. They are all under 30 seconds, to the point and offer solutions to common contamination issues.
They can be used on your social media channels, your website and on digital screens in public information centres.
Recycle Week social copy
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Hero films, animations and social media assets can be shared across different platforms – with associated post copy. The posts can be edited and localised to include details or highlights of your activity during Recycle Week. It is an opportunity to encourage your audience to get behind Recycle Week and remind them of their local recycling provision.
Remember to use #RecycleWeek25 on your social media channels.
Recycle Week schools resources
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The school resources have been developed to raise awareness of the importance of recycling to primary aged pupils during Recycle Week. The lessons are suitable for use by waste awareness and education staff, teachers and leaders of youth groups such as Girl Guiding and Scouts. Our pack includes two lessons, an assembly, lesson plan and activity sheets.
Recycle Week email banner
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An email banner is an easy addition to your email signature. It highlights the campaign and promotes Recycle Week.
Recycle Week bin stickers
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This simple A5 sticker is designed to prompt people at the point of disposal. It offers a clear, simple solution by encouraging people to search for the Recycling Sorter. QR codes can be used to allow residents to easily access up-to-date recycling information.
Downloads
A link is included in the download for design files.