The third Big Recycle Week was launched 5 June in time for the World Cup by David Miliband, the new secretary of state for the environment. Mr Miliband joined former footballer Graeme le Saux at ECT Recycling's depot in Ealing, West London, to tour the plant and pledge his support for the campaign. Organised by WRAP - alongside UK recycling organisations British Glass, Corus, Novelis, PaperChain & Recoup - the Big Recycle aims to encourage people in England to recycle more. An estimated 410 million cans & bottles are expected to accumulate during the World Cup, so this year's programme was given a football theme & timed to coincide with the run-up to the tournament. Hundreds of customised recycling footballs & scarves were sent to local councils, football clubs, material reprocessors & retailers all over the country as part of the nationwide drive to spread awareness. Speaking at the launch, Mr Miliband said: "The Big Recycle is an easy way to highlight to people that recycling can make a difference and that recycling is easy. I applaud the drive to make sure that we use the World Cup month to make sure that those 400 million beer cans and beer bottles find their way back into the recycling system."
