Welcome to the Autumn edition of Environment Matters

We hope everyone has had a wonderful summer and enjoyed some of the warmer weather we've experienced over the past few months. As the holidays come to an end and we settle back into our usual routines, we're also marking Recycle Week, a great opportunity to think about the positive actions we can all take for our environment.

In this edition, you'll find updates from our nationally funded reuse project, tips on getting your compost ready for autumn, and highlights from a recent crayfish workshop held in Melton. We'll also be introducing a new toolkit designed to support communities in taking practical action to improve their local environment and make a positive difference where they live.

We hope you enjoy this edition and find plenty of inspiration to get involved in environmental action in your local area.

​This week is national Recycle Week, an annual campaign organised by Recycle Now. The theme is Rescue Me, Recycle, encouraging us to recycle the bathroom items that often get forgotten, such as aerosol cans, glass perfume or scent bottles, plastic bottles from hair and body products (and cleaning products!), toothpaste tubes and the cardboard roll from toilet paper.   

Keep an eye out for some new characters and storylines popping up on our social media channels during the week. We’ll also be out and about at various venues engaging with residents - see the events section of our Lesswaste website.

Remember that recycling these everyday items prevents them from going to waste and helps to preserve our natural resources. Capturing these forgotten items can really make a difference. Our individual actions do matter and collectively make a significant impact. 

Bottles and containers do need to be rinsed first but for something like a toothpaste tube, ensure the contents are fully squeezed out, pop the lid back on and recycle. You no longer need to remove the trigger spray heads from plastic bottles either, they can now be recycled.

Autumn is one of the best times to start or boost your home composting efforts. 

As leaves fall and gardens are tidied for winter, there is an abundance of compostable material ready to be transformed into black gold. Home composting helps reduce waste and creates nutrient-rich compost that can improve soil structure and support healthy plants. Within a year you could also save on buying bags of compost, saving you money. 

Composting can be easy: for successful composting, aim for a good balance of “greens”, such as fruit and vegetable peelings or coffee grounds and “browns”, including woody prunings, dry leaves, cardboard or shredded paper. This mix provides the right balance of nitrogen and carbon needed by the microorganisms that break down organic matter.  

To learn more, why not come and try one of our free workshops which are running across Leicestershire at https://www.lesswaste.org.uk/community-involvement/

​American Signal Crayfish were first introduced to Europe from North America in the 1960s for farming and consumption. They have become an invasive species and spread widely, posing a significant threat to native ecosystems. Signal crayfish voraciously eat both plants and animals, disrupting local ecosystems. 

The species that has suffered the most is our native, White-Clawed Crayfish, with populations plummeting by an estimated 70% to 80%. The White-Clawed Crayfish is the UK’s only native crayfish and is identified as a priority species in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy.  

The council work with local communities and partner organisations to control invasive species across our countryside. As part of this work Leicestershire County Council funded and delivered an American Signal Crayfish identification and trapping workshop at Brooksby College Campus, Melton which was led by local experts Alex Gray (Brooksby College) and Roseanna Burton (Leicestershire County Council Environmental Partnerships Officer), who leads on the council’s invasive and non-native species work. 

Participants took part in a riverside survey of the River Wreake, where pre-set traps were checked by licensed trapper Alex Gray. Trapping without a licence is illegal. Captured crayfish were identified, measured and sexed before being humanely dispatched as part of ongoing control efforts. 

One trap alone contained 15 individuals with 50 invasive crayfish being caught during the whole day. 

A big thank you to all who attended and contributed to making the training session a huge success. If you would like further information about the control of invasive species and associated projects, please email the Environment Policy and Strategy Team please contact us below.  

Walking, wheeling, and cycling to school 

Saving our rarest plants across Leicestershire, Leicester & Rutland

Residents looking to make their homes more energy efficient can now access increased government funding to help cover the cost of upgrading their heating systems.

Through the national Boiler Upgrade Scheme, homeowners who currently rely on heating oil or LPG may be eligible for grants of up to £9,000 towards the installation of a heat pump. The enhanced funding is available until March 2027 and now includes support for air-to-air heat pumps, which can provide both heating and cooling.

Alongside national grant funding, our Warm Homes team offers free, tailored advice to help residents reduce energy costs and keep their homes warm and comfortable.

Eligible residents can receive one-to-one support at home from a visiting officer, including advice on reducing energy use, identifying suitable grants and accessing other schemes that may help improve energy efficiency.

To find out what support may be available, complete the self-referral form or contact the Warm Homes Team on 0116 305 2524