The recycling efforts of people in north Oxfordshire are being celebrated this Recycle Week.

Cherwell District Council is supporting the event, which runs from October 14 until October 20, by joining a national mission to save five 'packaging heroes' from the bin and give them a new life through recycling.

These 'heroes' are Dee Dee, the deodorant, Rey, the plastic trigger spray, Yogi, the yoghurt pot, Fitz, the perfume bottle, and Hube, the toilet roll tube.

These characters, created by Recycle Now, aim to bring the campaign to life and feature on recycling and refuse lorries across the UK, including in Cherwell.

The latest research from Recycle Now shows while the UK is a nation of recyclers, with nine out of 10 people regularly recycling, nearly 79 per cent put one or more items into the bin that could have been recycled.

Councillor Ian Middleton, portfolio holder for neighbourhood services, said: "Recycling is a vitally important part of our work to tackle climate change.

Ian MiddletonIan Middleton (Image: Cherwell District Council) "It means valuable materials can be recaptured - recycled - and reused, reducing the need for the environmentally damaging extraction of raw materials such as oil for plastic and metal ores from mining.

"We’re always looking at new ways to encourage recycling and re-using, with new initiatives such as our doorstep charity collections, and vape and coffee pod services that have recently been launched across the district.

"Recycle Now’s fun new recycling heroes are an eye-catching way of spreading the recycling message and encouraging people to sort their used packaging correctly."

The council's waste and recycling team will run roadshows during Recycle Week to answer questions and share tips.

These will be held at Banbury Food Larder on Tuesday, October 15, from 2pm to 4pm, Lock 29 at Castle Quay on Wednesday, October 16, from 11am to 2pm, Wish Community Hub in Kidlington on Thursday, October 17, from 11am to 2pm, and Bicester Friday Market on Friday, October 18, from 9am to 3pm.

Craig Stephens, senior campaign manager for Recycle Now, said: "We are delighted that Cherwell District Council is supporting Recycle Week.

"While a light-hearted campaign, recycling is essential to limit the impact what we buy has on the environment.

"Keeping these materials circulating means we can reduce emissions linked with our weekly shop.

"Most people are recycling, and the material we capture has a multitude of uses, so the next step is to ensure everyone captures everything they can.

"Every aerosol, every trigger spray bottle, every plastic pot, perfume bottle and toilet roll tube."