Why recycle / recycling advice
Metals, glass, building materials, and most plastics are made from limited natural resources. Some items made from these materials can be reused, and this saves the most energy and reduces the impact on the environment. For example, glass bottles only need to be washed and sterilised before they can be filled again. Other products cannot be reused in this way, but they can be recycled.
The advantages of recycling compared to producing materials and objects from natural resources include:
- fewer quarries and mines are needed to extract finite reserves of metal ores
- less crude oil needs to be extracted from the Earth as a raw material for making plastics
- less energy is needed for recycling , so the emission of greenhouse gases is reduced
- the amount of waste that is disposed of in landfill is reduced.
Recycling is effective against climate change
Recycling is easy and has a huge impact in the fight against climate change. Recycling 1 tonne of paper saves 19 trees from being cut down, which helps capture carbon dioxide, reducing global warming.
Recycling also reduces energy consumption and the need for raw materials. The production of recycled paper requires 65% less energy than the production of new paper from raw materials.
Aluminium can be recycled repeatedly, saving around 95% of the greenhouse gas emissions compared to extraction. Recycling 1 tonne of aluminium saves 9 tonnes of CO2 emissions. 1 tonne of CO2 is equivalent to driving a car 2,800 miles.
Recycling in the UK saves around 18 million tonnes of CO2 a year, which is the same as almost 17 million of us switching from petrol to electric cars.
Recycling at home
- you can help by recycling your household waste, view what goes in each bin for more information
- double check if anything you are going to throw in the rubbish bin can be recycled instead, either at home in your recycling bins or at your local recycling centre
- rinse out empty food and drink containers before you recycle them
- squash plastic bottles and flatten cardboard boxes so you can fit more in your recycling bin
Recycling other items
There are many websites available that can advise on items that are recyclable according to your postcode and the nearest locations for items to be recycled that cannot be recycled in your household bins.