Recycling is Worth It: Recycle Week 2017

Recycling Is Worth It: Recycle Week 2017

The theme of this year’s Recycle Week is ‘Recycling-It’s Worth It’, and the message is that there are benefits to recycling all sorts of things that you have in your home.

According to a recent survey carried out by Recycle Now, 80% of people in the UK believe that recycling makes a difference, but they don’t see a direct benefit. Over half of the people surveyed wanted to find out more about what their recycling gets used for, but they do understand that recycled materials can be of value in that they can be turned into new products.

Although recycling rates are generally increasing, there is still more to do, and it is everyone’s responsibility.

Recycling at home: Don’t forget the bathroom

As part of this year’s recycle week campaign, people are being encouraged to check for recyclable items in the rooms they often forget all about. One of those rooms is the bathroom. Many people think of waste they generate in the kitchen when it comes to recycling, but you should think about the amount of products you have in your bathroom. The average bathroom contains lots of recyclable items like shampoo bottles and toilet roll tubes, and just putting a few extra items in your recycling can make all the difference.

Making bathroom recycling easy

Here’s how to get your recycling regime started in the bathroom:

• Empty and rinse bottles and other containers before you put them in the recycling
• Remove plastic lids and caps from deodorant and shaving foam/gel and put them in the recycling separately
• Don’t put mirrors or nail varnish bottles in the recycling. They should go into general waste as they can’t be recycled

Why is recycling worth it?

The more you recycle, the more raw materials are preserved, and more energy is saved. Less waste is sent to landfill which means less greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, and less toxins are leached into the soil and waterways.

The problem of plastic waste

If you’re like the average person, your bathroom will be full of products, all in plastic bottles. 44% of plastic bottles in the UK don’t get recycled, and sadly, some of these will end up in our oceans. Estimates say that around 8 million tonnes of plastic are dumped in our waters each year, and if this continues, by 2050, there will be more plastic in our seas than fish and other marine species. Do your bit by going through your bathroom products and making sure plastic containers, glass jars, and aerosol cans go into the recycling. Every little helps.