We’re all more acutely aware than ever of the impact our waste has on the planet. We’ve heard the scary statistics. We know about the billions of tonnes we send into landfill waste every year all over the world. We know the damage that our plastic, metal and electronic waste can do to the environment- leaching harmful compounds into our oceans and harming the plants, fishes, animals and communities that rely on them for survival. We know that unless things change we will increase our landfill waste by 70% by 2050 and there may be more plastic in our oceans than fish.
Fortunately, the more we reduce, repurpose and recycle our waste, the better chance we have of avoiding this fate. That said, the more we need to recycle, the more complicated it can become. Fortunately, there are more reasons than ever why recycling doesn’t need to be difficult. Let’s look at some ways in which you can simplify your recycling in 2020.
Partner with a local company who can fulfil all your recycling needs
Recycling is complicated when local authorities around the country, and indeed the world, have wildly different rules about what they can and cannot accept. This inconsistency can be very frustrating. Some authorities will accept a full gamut of plastics, while others will exclusively accept plastic bottles.
If your local authority’s provision is not suited to your business, home or garden recycling needs you may want to consider a local skip hire service near you. Like J Dickson & Sons servicing Wigan, Horwich, Bolton and Chorley. Most will be more than happy to recycle your household or commercial waste, as well as dealing with the waste from a kitchen or bathroom renovation in a sustainable way.
Know which plastics can and cannot be recycled
Some people assume that all plastics can be recycled. Some people assume that plastics can be recycled over and over again. Yet when non-recyclable plastics are thrown into recycling, there’s a chance that the equipment could be damaged or malfunction. As such, the whole batch may be thrown out.
Take a look at the underside of whatever packaging you wish to recycle. You’ll see a triangle made up of 3 arrows. Within this triangle is a number. If the number is 1, 2, 4 or 5, there’s a good chance that it can be recycled.
Use plant-based alternatives to plastics where possible
Plastic is one area of recycling where things can get complicated. With so many kinds of plastic, there are some which even the manufacturers aren’t sure about. Fortunately, there is an emerging (and booming) market in plant-based plastic alternatives. These can usually either be recycled or composted.
Take steps to reduce your waste
Finally, recycling is just like pretty much everything else in life. The more of it we have, the more complicated it can become. Which is why you should take steps to reduce waste as well as recycling. With a little imagination, reusing and repurposing can be simpler and more sustainable alternatives to recycling.
