04 Jun Blog: Recycling Correctly
Recycling correctly is something that all of us probably never do, but it’s probably because we just aren’t aware of the rules we need to follow. Recycling only works if you put the right things in the right bins, and they must be clean and dry before you do so! With the climate crisis being a constant hot topic, recycling correctly is one way that we can help to protect the environment, and ensure we are reducing carbon emissions and living sustainably.
Only 41% of the 7 million tonnes of waste produced by homes and businesses in London every year is recycled. This is mainly due to the fact that leaving plastic bottles, cartons, tubs or trays with liquid or food still in them adds weight to the container and the sorting process at the recycling plant gets confused, sending containers down the incorrect conveyor belt.
This isn’t the only reason, however, and a lack of recycling can also be attributed to people putting things in the incorrect bins, or not understanding which objects can be recycled in the first place. I bet you didn’t know that you need to remove the pump on plastic hand soap bottles before recycling, as these can’t be recycled! Crisp packets and sweet wrappers tend to trick people also – the metallised plastic film inside these cannot yet be recycled, but most people mistake this for foil, which is widely known as a recyclable material. You can test to see if a packet is foil based or metallised plastic film by scrunching the packet up, and if it holds its shape then it is foil, but if it recoils back to its packet-shape, it’s not!
LondonRecycles have put together an explanation of all the different recycling symbols and what they mean, so make sure you have a read to find out where you are going wrong. It is important that we follow the rules and recycle correctly at home, but also when we are at work, where there is sometimes an attitude that the waste and recycling created is someone else’s problem. Businesses create a lot of waste, including paper, takeaways, cardboard boxes, deliveries and so on, and they should lead the way, set expectations, and behave responsibly with recycling to send a clear message to the workforce that this is a corporate obligation. Check out these useful tools that could help your business be more efficient with their recycling. If good habits are set at work, this might also lead to better habits at home.
One of the big reasons for recycling is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling in the UK currently reduces the output of CO2 into the atmosphere by 18 million tonnes per year, which is the same as removing 5 million cars from the roads! Imagine the impact we could make if everyone started recycling correctly and more frequently! It takes 75% less energy to make a bottle from recycled plastic compared to the original, pure materials, so make sure you’re doing your bit and educating others on the do’s and don’ts of recycling, so we can make the planet more healthy and sustainable together.
Hammersmith BID Blog: Delve into our sustainability blog to discover the bigger picture behind the work that Hammersmith BID supports to make your town a better place to live, work and visit.