Most of the goods we use can be recycled in one way or another, and there are many different schemes now available to make it easy for you to recycle and reuse unwanted goods.
Some interesting facts about recycling
The UK only recycles 17% of its rubbish, yet Switzerland, Holland and Germany recycle half their waste.
Paper
The demand for paper places pressure on the world's forests. Instead of using paper once and throwing it away, recycling paper and cardboard is better for the environment.
Compost
It isn't necessary to use up natural, valuable peat bogs to make compost. You can make your own organic compost from vegetable peelings, tea, coffee and garden waste.
Plastic
Most plastic is made from oil which takes hundreds of years to degrade in landfill sites or produces toxic smoke from incinerators. Companies need to stop over-packaging items whilst reducing the amount of plastic they use.
Metals
Two-thirds of the metal wasted comes from steel or aluminium cans and foil. Recycling these is easy, profitable and saves resources and energy. Aluminium cans could be recycled indefinitely saving 95 per cent of energy needed to make new.
Glass
30 gallons of oil are saved for every tonne of glass which is recycled.
Others
Old clothes, toys and furniture can be re-used. Other products can be reprocessed if they are broken down into component parts. Manufacturers should be making products that last and are recycleable. In fact, virtually everything can be recycled!
The Laundry is a not-for-profit recycling service especially for small businesses in Central London. They take paper, cardboard, cans and plastic bottles, CDs, IT equipment, printer cartridges and mobile phones. They can help your business save money because their bags are cheaper than local rubbish collectors'. The Laundry recycle 100% of what they collect, you don't have to sign a contract and they collect every week so you can get rid of the bags a regular basis and keep your office tidy. Visit their website to place your order and get started recycling within a week. www.thelaundry.biz
707 Resource Management is based in the UK, privately owned and provides a complete national waste management service. They cater for businesses ranging from regional up to national companies with multiple sites. Their focus is on eliminating landfill through reducing waste at source, recycling and utilising new technologies. Their experience as regional contractors, servicing national accounts, has not only taught them the value of local service but also of the need for national integration. 707 Resource Management like to keep things fresh, straightforward and professional. 707 will provide the solutions, the account management, the equipment and the expertise. They utilise existing vehicles to provide the transport. No hidden charges, no stress. www.707.co.uk
Severnside Recycling is a market leading recycling company, providing complete recycling and waste management solutions to thousands of UK businesses. With no investment in landfill, their main aim is to divert as much waste from landfill as possible, reducing their customer’s costly landfill taxes and saving our environment from harmful CO2 emissions.
Harvesting circa 1.9 million tonnes of paper and packaging annually from UK waste streams through 16 of their own Recycling Facilities across the UK, Severnside operates its own transport infrastructure, whilst delivering services to over 14,000 sites. www.severnside.com
WasteCare offer a unique recycling and waste management service enabling waste producers from all industrial and business sectors to manage and report their waste. They collect all forms of waste but specialise in hazardous material that cannot be landfilled. WasteCare also run one of the most popular weee compliance schemes in the UK. www.wastecare.co.uk
FoneAid – The free and easy mobile phone recycling campaign that raises you money. www.foneaid.org.uk
Efreeko is a national website of items that people recycle for free. Do you want free stuff - or have you got items you no longer need? Efreeko is the answer, free to join, free to list and free to get items. Help to reduce, reuse and recycle at efreeko. www.efreeko.co.uk
Recycling Supermarket.com is an information service for up-to-date news, information and guides on everything to do with recycling, waste management and the environment. www.recyclingsupermarket.com
Another Mans Treasure offer a free recycling website where users can easily list and find unwanted items both in their local area and throughout the UK. Pay for delivery of many free items across the country instantly online. www.anothermanstreasure.co.uk
