Environmentally Friendly Tips and Tricks
See the useful eco friendly tips and information gathered from the Annual Town Meeting 2026 below. These cover recycling, food waste, fly tipping prevention, and ways to support local biodiversity. They are simple actions that can help you save money, save energy, and look after our local environment at the same time, while making a positive difference across Brackley and the wider area.
Recycling Basics
Learning about, and implementing, the waste hierarchy into our day to day life is a simple way to reduce the amount of waste we create and improve sustainability wherever possible. Starting with prevention, we should aim to do what we can at each stage to avoid disposal and help look after our environment. Take a note of the hierarchy below to help you remember.
Prevention → Reuse → Recycling → Recovery → Disposal
When recycling at home, remember that items should always be empty, clean, dry, and loose, not placed inside bags. This helps the team at the recycling plant process materials quickly and more affordably. Doing a little at home to make sure your recycling is clean and dry keeps things working well all the way down the chain. As a helpful reminder, items that can be recycled include:
- Cardboard
- Glass bottles and jars
- Magazines and paper
- Plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays, and tubes
- Food and drink cartons
- Aluminium foil and foil trays
- Tins, cans, and aerosols
For us in Brackley, our recycling goes to the state-of-the-art Sherbourne Recycling Centre in Coventry. We are very lucky to have such an excellent facility in our area that processes recycling materials. Kerry also highlighted that, unlike some other examples, recycling from Brackley is processed and sent exclusively to UK destinations to be reused.
When sorting your recycling, remember this helpful phrase to help keep our recycling centres running properly - "If in doubt, leave it out"
Food Waste
We learnt that small everyday changes can make a big difference for both the environment and our own finances. Around 60% of food waste in the UK comes from households, showing that a few simple changes to the way we approach food waste at home can make a huge impact. To find out more about food waste and learn about some great easy tips, visit the Love Food Hate Waste website below:
Love Food Hate Waste Good Food Habits Guide
Food waste is actually £100 per tonne cheaper to process than general waste. As this is taxpayer money, it's a no-brainer. Your food is not only cheaper to recycle, but also produces sustainable energy. Food from our bins is collected and processed into biogas, which is then used to generate electricity. In fact, one full kitchen caddy bin can generate enough energy to power a television for two hours. Food waste collected in West Northamptonshire is currently producing enough electricity to power around 1,500 homes each year. The more food you recycle, the more sustainable energy we will make.
To top it all off, after the sustainable electricity is generated, the remaining material is turned into a nutrient-rich fertiliser called digestate, which can then be used by farmers to help grow more food.
Food waste collections also offer several benefits, including weekly collections, reduced smells from black bins, and more space in household waste bins. We also found out that food waste bin liners are available from Brackley Library for £1 per pack of 30 bags, but you can also use newspaper, compostable liners, or old plastic bags.
Items that can go into food waste bins include:
- Bread and pastries
- Leftovers and out-of-date food
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Fruit, vegetables, and peelings
- Fish, meat, and bones
- Egg shells
- Dairy products
- Rice, beans, and pasta
Order your food caddy using the form below:
West Northamptonshire Council - New Bin Order Form
Additional Recycling Bins
We also learnt that once you're into the swing of things, households producing extra recycling can apply for an additional bin free of charge. To apply, simply click on the link labelled "South Northamptonshire area - order additional bins" under the heading "Additional bins and capacity". Please note that you may be charged for additional non-recycling bins, such as general waste or garden waste bins.
West Northamptonshire Council - Additional Recycling Bins
Free Recycling Collection Service
We also heard about the Reuse clothing and textiles collection service from West Northamptonshire Council in partnership with Anglo Recycling, which offers free collection of clothes and shoes, toys, kitchenware, books, small electricals and bric-a-brac. An excellent way to clear out your house and do your bit for the environment.
This free service provides a simple and convenient way to help declutter, while at the same time supporting local charities as funds raised through the Anglo doorstep collection scheme are currently supporting the following five local charities: Baby Basics Northampton, The Northampton Hope Centre, RSPCA Northamptonshire, SAF Cat Rescue and SNCR Responders.
Almost every donation is reused for its original intended use or recycled. Avoid putting things in landfill and use this great service instead. You can find out more about the service and book a collection below:
West Northamptonshire Council - Clothing Collections Service
Fly Tipping and Private Waste Collection
If you hire a private waste collection service, it is important to use licensed operators. Always ask to see their waste carrier licence, check the licence on the Environment Agency register, and make sure you receive a receipt for the work carried out. If your waste is fly tipped by someone you have hired, you may still be held responsible.
You can check waste carrier licence numbers using the link below:
Environment Agency Public Waste Carrier Register Licence Check
You can report fly tipping directly to West Northamptonshire Council here:
Report Fly Tipping to West Northamptonshire Council
West Northamptonshire Council App
The West Northamptonshire Council app provides lots of useful information about recycling, bins, and local services. One of the most helpful features is that it sends a notification the night before bin collection day and tells you which bin is due to be collected. Simply search for the West Northamptonshire Council app on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Urban Greening
Looking at an oxeye daisy for just six seconds has been shown to lower blood pressure. Access to green window views can also significantly support hospital recovery and reduce stress and pain perception. What can we do to provide greenery and habitats for wildlife? Hedges, plants, flowers in gardens, window boxes, and piled-up logs all help provide homes for wildlife while also helping to beautify our town. RHS It’s Your Neighbourhood encourages communities to green up their local area.
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