Recycling Roundup

History of Recycling Bins 

History of Recycling Bins 

You probably only think about your recycling bin when it’s time for your regular trip outside to deposit your recyclables. But like pretty much everything we take for granted these days, recycling bins have an interesting history. Here’s our guide to the history of recycling bins.

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Top Food Recycling Bins 

Food Recycling Bins
How much food waste goes into your household waste bin? According to Wrap, 70% of the food we throw away is edible. However, instead of eating it, we send it to landfill where it rots away and contributes to climate change. You could be recycling it instead. Want a top food recycling bins? Here are our picks.

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Can I Get Paid for Recycling?

paid for recycling

Dear Recycling Bins... I try to do my bit for the environment, but at the moment I’m struggling. The cost of everything is going up at an unbelievable rate. Are there any ways that I can help the environment and get rewards? Could I get paid for recycling?

 

Thank you for your question. The cost of living is soaring at the moment so every little saving helps. The good news is that yes, you can get paid for recycling! Here are some ways you can have more cash in your pocket and send less to landfills.

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Which Country Produced the Most Rubbish in 2021?

Most Rubbish in 2021

The world has a rubbish problem. In the developed world, we have access to more goods than ever before. However, more goods inevitably mean more waste. It’s where that waste ends up that’s the problem. But which countries topped the rubbish production list in 2021?

The Impact of High Rubbish Production on Poorer Countries

In wealthier countries, an ever-growing population is buying more and more goods. But what happens to the extra waste we’re producing? The shocking reality is that we export much of it, particularly plastic, to poorer countries. These nations are the least able to deal with huge amounts of waste. Many people in the world’s poorest nations don’t have access to a waste collection system. Waste is either burned or dumped, leading to pollution and serious health problems.

There are people in poorer nations that earn an income from picking waste from rubbish dumps. They look for reusable items in dirty and dangerous conditions that they can sell. But this is far from a happy consequence of our rubbish production.

Take the district of Agbogbloshie in Ghana, for example. The district is home to the world’s largest ‘digital dump.’ 

Electronic waste like old computers, fridges, and other electrical appliances is sent here from across the globe. These electronic items can contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals.  Many people who pick rubbish on the dump suffer from health problems like burns and chronic headaches. Some workers have even died of cancer at an early age.

What Are We Throwing Away?

When it comes to rubbish production, plastic is the obvious glaring problem. Single-use plastic, in particular, ends up as litter or on landfill sites. It also often ends up in rivers and oceans where it causes pollution and harms wildlife.

According to statistics, e-waste is the fastest-growing global waste stream. Food is the most common form of waste and it accounts for half of the solid waste we throw away.

Which Country Tops the Rubbish Production List?

As you’d expect of a country with a population of 1.4 billion, China produces the most municipal solid waste (over 15%). However, considering in terms of population, the US generates the most waste per person. The United States makes up around 5% of the world’s population but produces 12% of the solid waste. It also takes the title of the biggest producer of food waste in the world. 

What might surprise you is that Denmark produces the most waste per person in Europe. That’s right, the Scandinavian nation with a clean, green reputation produces as much waste per head as the US.

When it comes to industrial, agricultural, and hazardous waste, Canada tops the charts. This is mainly due to the prevalence of heavy industries like oil refining and metal manufacturing. 

Some Reasons to be Hopeful

Thankfully, many countries are realising that relentless rubbish production can’t go on unchecked.

China

  • The country banned plastic bags in major cities in 2020. The ban will come into effect in smaller cities and towns by the end of this year.
  • Single-use plastic items are being eliminated from restaurants and takeaways, and plastic straws are already banned.
  • There has been significant investment in recycling and creating a circular economy.

Germany

  • The country’s Environment Ministry introduced a five-point action plan to tackle plastic waste in 2018. 

Japan

  • Japan is a nation obsessed with hygiene. This means that goods like food are wrapped in a lot of plastic. Now the government has announced that it wants to reduce plastic use by 25% by 2030.

So it’s not all bad news, but there’s still much more to do. We all have a part to play in driving down rubbish production to reduce the burden on the planet. What will you do today to reduce waste? For more interesting articles on all things rubbish and sustainability, check out the rest of our blog.

What Happens To My Recycled Food Waste?

Food Waste

Have you ever wondered what happens to your recycled food waste once you have put it in your food waste recycling bin? Is it composted? Does it generate green energy? Well, that depends on your local authority and how committed they are to combating global warming and lowering carbon emissions.

Sadly, much of our recycled food waste goes straight to landfill, where it degrades and produces harmful greenhouse gasses such as methane. To overcome this, we need to reduce the amount of food we waste, redistribute edible food to those in need, and turn it into animal feed. But there’s only so much we can do at home.

Here we’ll explain what happens to your recycled food waste, what food producers and manufacturers need to do to help lower this global problem, and what you can do to reduce the amount of food wasted at home.

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UK Recycling Statistics 2021

Recycling Statistics

It’s been a funny old year. One that many of us would rather not repeat. But it hasn’t been all bad. Countries came together at the recent COP26 Climate Change Conference. World leaders pledged to do more to help combat climate change, and UK recycling statistics are up, albeit slightly compared to previous years.

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