Recycling is crucial to a sustainable future as it allows us to prevent unwanted and used items from ending up in landfill sites. It promotes the resilience of biodiversity on the planet and has been repeatedly shown to raise the quality of human health and living conditions.
You may not realise it but there are many items that you can recycle that you might otherwise be tempted to throw away. Materials such as glass, paper and aluminium are commonly recycled with councils providing special bins in most areas to dispose of these materials. However, you can also recycle materials such as plastic, fabric and even your used electrical equipment.
So, what can be recycled and how can you recycle it?
Recycling paper, glass and aluminium for a sustainable future.
Paper – or cardboard, glass and aluminium are three of the most common materials that we think about when it comes to recycling. They are easy to recycle on a domestic and commercial level as most homes and businesses have easy access to specialist bins to throw away their waste.
Despite the ease of recycling it, more than 20 per cent of paper goes unrecycled in the UK. If all that paper was recycled, over ten million trees would be saved from being cut down annually.
Worryingly, 90 per cent of Sunday newspapers do not get recycled and this equates to half a million trees that could otherwise be saved. You and your business could benefit from recycling your papers and documents in a safe and confidential way.
Glass is the ideal material for recycling. It can be recycled repeatedly and does not suffer any loss of quality when it is recycled. However, when it is sent to landfill sites it puts a significant strain on them as it never decomposes. With over 28 billion glass jars and bottles being sent to UK landfill sites each year, it is easy to see how these sites become overfilled with rubbish.
Recycling just a single tonne of aluminium can save up to 9 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. This is a great way to reduce global warming and could ultimately help to reverse the effects of climate change.
Some countries, such as Germany and Finland, recycle more than 99 per cent of their used aluminium, as they lead the world in recycling achievements and improving sustainability. Conversely, in the UK more than 80 million cans get sent to landfill sites each day.
How recycling food waste can contribute to sustainability.
On average, people dispose of 74 kilograms of waste food each year and a significant amount of that ends up at landfills. More than 50 per cent of this waste could instead be composted and reused as animal feed or to help flowers and plants grow.
When food ends up in landfills it releases methane which is a dangerous greenhouse gas. This is one of the gases that is responsible for contributing to global warming. By recycling more food, you could cut your carbon footprint by as much as one-quarter.
Did you know you can recycle fabrics?
Many people do not know that fabrics and textiles can be recycled and transformed into new materials that can then be reused. Only a small percentage of fabrics and clothes are recycled globally and this is contributing to the landfill crisis.
By donating your used clothes or other fabrics for recycling, you can do your part to ensure that the amount of landfill waste is minimized as much as possible. This is a great way to contribute to a greener, sustainable future for yourselves and your children.
How does recycling electrical equipment improve sustainability?
Electronics and other electrical equipment can be efficiently recycled and turned into new items. Electrical equipment like computers, televisions and mobile phones are often thrown away. However, they can be remade into toys, tools, vacuums, jewellery and new electronic items.
Hard drives are often thrown away when they have come to the end of their lives but they can also be easily recycled. At TipTop Media, we can collect your old hard drive for you and ensure that it gets recycled in a secure and confidential way. We protect your data and the planet at the same time!
For more information on hard drive, paper and recycling for a sustainable future, please email us or call us on 020 3234 0090.
Here are some other related posts you may be interested in reading:
How to reduce your company’s carbon footprint.
Recycling: The Services We Offer
Recycling Frustrations and What we can do
How NOT to Recycle