Knowing how to recycle can feel overwhelming. Sometimes items can end up in the wrong bin or it feels like a mundane task. But learning how to recycle, and doing it properly, is really easy and good for the environment.
Did you know that British households create over 26m tonnes of waste each year? This means that the average person throws away around 400kg of waste every year. While we recycle around 44% of our waste in England, some of our neighbours are doing better, with Wales recycling 57% and Northern Ireland recycling 46% of its waste.
Recycling paper
The UK recycles 80% of paper and card. It accounts for 1/5 of all waste produced. If every person recycled just 10% more paper, we would save approximately 5 million trees each year. It takes just 6 days to turn recycled paper into new paper. So, the next time you take a label off your clothing, don't throw it away, recycle it.
Recycling Plastic
Many plastics are in fact recyclable, but it can be difficult to know which is or isn't. Currently, 45% of plastic is recycled, but sadly 55% still ends up in landfill. Always check the label to see if an item can be recycled. If you are still confused, check out this handy guide by
Recycle Now on how to recycle plastic bottles and cartons. Click
here to see which plastic films can be recycled. It is best to check with your council to see which items are recyclable or not, as different boroughs can vary.
Fun fact: Our Eco-uniform products are made using plastic bottles that would otherwise end up in landfill. Look out for the Eco-uniform label next time you go school uniform shopping.
Food recycling
We throw away, on average, 20% of all food that we purchase. That equates to around £700 per household, per year. At least 50% of this food is compostable, and if composted correctly it can reduce greenhouse gases. Most food that ends up in landfill can be recycled to make animal feed, or even converted into electricity and heat. Check with your council to see if they offer food collection recycling in your area and do your bit to reduce food waste.
Find out which items your council collects
It's always a good idea to check your local council website and see what items they collect and which bins they go into. You can find your local borough by visiting the
GOV.uk website.
