Press Release

Mar 2005 - TV Presenter Oliver Heath has designs on 'Do it Yourself' reuse and recycling this Easter

Oliver Heath, one of the UK's top designers and supporter of national recycling campaign 'Recycle Now' is encouraging people to recycle and reuse the DIY waste they generate this Easter (25 - 27March).

Oliver, who will soon be hosting a new ITV show, Front of House, has recently finished his own DIY project - transforming his own home with recycled materials and sustainable products.

Almost 19 million of us regularly indulge in DIY, spending an average of £2,610 every year. Easter is often the key time when people's thoughts turn to donning overalls and picking up tools as the nation kicks off one of the busiest weekends for home improvements.

"Putting up new shelves, dismantling old cupboards and general decorating always leads to one big problem," said Oliver. "What do we do with all the extra rubbish?"

Around 60 percent of the DIY rubbish we create can be reused or recycled. Oliver offers some top tips and advice on what to do with that extra rubbish this Easter...

Wood
"Don't throw away old units or cut-offs this weekend! Many people don't realise that wood can be used again and made into all kinds of useful things, such as chippings for children's playgrounds, " said Oliver.

Clothes
"If you're going to spruce up your bedroom with a coat of paint or some new storage units, make sure your wardrobe is in a good state too, " said Oliver.

Your can donate your unwanted good quality clothes to your nearest charity shop, or hold a jumble sale. For old worn clothes these can be taken to a textile recycling bank where many are collected and used as rags.

Furniture
"Unwanted furniture may be able to go to a good home. Your old chest of drawers or desk could be restored and redistributed to charities and other good causes." Local furniture groups may also take unwanted electrical items. For a list of some of the local groups visit www.frn.org.uk or contact your local council who may have details of other local groups or charity shops that accept good quality items.

Paint
"If you do decide to give a room a fresh coat of paint, don't throw away any leftovers, " said Oliver. "Community Re>Paint is an innovative and practical project, which offers a novel solution to the problem of leftover paint."

Over 300 million litres of paint are sold in the UK and approximately 37.5 million litres of DIY paint remain unused - which means there could be a staggering 100 million litres of paint stored in homes across the UK.

Community Re>Paint diverts unwanted, surplus paint from the waste stream and redistributes it for re-use by community groups, charities and voluntary organisations."

For further information, check out the website on www.communityrepaint.org.uk

DIY in the garden
Organic household waste - in other words kitchen and garden rubbish - might seem harmless enough, but this makes up the biggest percentage of our household dustbin contents. Organic waste produces greenhouse gases as it rots, and contributes to global warming.

"The best use for organic waste is to convert it into compost", said Oliver. Yu can make a compost heap really easy, or alternatively DIY stores and garden centres sell composting bins". Your local council may provide subsidised composting bins.

For other materials like glass, paper and card these can be recycled. Your local recycling centre or kerbside scheme will normally accept these types of materials, but check with your local council first.

Like Oliver said "There really is no excuse for just throwing your rubbish in the bin".

Notes to Editors:

For further information please contact Helen Wills or Hayley Hetherington at Ptarmigan Consultants on 0113 242 1155. Alternatively, e-mail to helen@ptarmiganpr.co.uk or hayley@ptarmiganpr.co.uk.

Recycle Now - Launched in September 2004, Recycle Now is the new £10 million multi-media national recycling campaign, implemented and managed by WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme). The aim of the campaign is to encourage more people to recycle more, more often. Further information is available at www.recyclenow.com.

1. WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) is a major UK programme established to promote resource efficiency. Its particular focus is on creating stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products and removing the barriers to waste minimisation, re-use and recycling.

2. A not-for-profit company in the private sector, WRAP is backed by substantial Government funding from Defra, DTI and the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

3. WRAP has laid down targets across twelve programmes. Nine are focused on market development, and comprise six material streams (Paper, Plastics, Glass, Wood, Organics and Aggregates) and three generic areas (Business & Finance, Procurement, and Regional Market Development). Three further programmes relate to the wider resource efficiency remit - Collections, Communications and Awareness, and Waste Minimisation.