7 days, 7 ways to recycle
Recycling is part of daily life for some people, for others it can be difficult to know where to start. If you are part of the latter group, we have the challenge for you. 7 days, 7ways is a great way to kick-start your consumption habits and improve your understanding of recycling.
Follow the day by day challenge or make changes according to your collection days and recycling centre opening hours.
Day 1 – Plastic
Most plastics are made from petroleum and during production great deals of toxins can be released into the environment. It is imperative on a global level that plastic production is halted, and thankfully technological advances make it easier to recycle. Recycling plastic is great for the environment, it can be transformed to make outdoor wear, play parks, bath mats and so much more.
Identify recyclable plastics in your home by looking for the three-arrow symbol on bottles. Plastic bottles will often have a number on the bottom, and this information lets you know if they are recyclable of not.
Day 2 – Paper
Multiple types of paper can be recycled, so be sure to think about what you use at home and in the office. In the UK newspapers can be recycled, envelopes, certain gloss papers and various cardboards. This means from your pizza box to junk mail you should be able to make a real difference.
Check with your local council and make sure you are recycling as much paper as possible, as deforestation devastates the environment.
Day 3 – Glass
A glass bottle takes 4,000 years to biodegrade naturally, so sending them to landfill is not a viable solution. Brown, green and clear glass can all be recycled and across the UK you can find bottle banks to donate them. Your used bottles can be ground down, then the recyclable pieces are transformed back into containers again.
The UK aims to recycle 80% of all glass by 2020, a 3% rise on the goals for 2017.
Day 4 – Compost
Composting is a very easy way to make your own fertilizer completely free of charge. Composting involves you storing waste food scraps, excess grass and non-recyclable paper. It may seem like a messy job but a barrel and small shovel is all you need. To avoid a bad smell, add garden soil to the top of the pile.
Day 5 – Metals
A lot of household metal can be recycled; this is ferrous metal. If you are unsure if a metal is ferrous or non-ferrous, you may need to remove your fridge magnet. If a magnet attracts the metal it is ferrous and usually it can be recycled in kerbside collection bins.
Non-ferrous metals, pots and pans, may need to go to a local recycling centre.
Day 6 – Digital Waste
Tech waste has obviously increased significantly in recent years, usually it involves a trip to a recycling centre to dispose of. A few minutes research will ensure you dispose of it properly, and failure to correctly get rid of e-waste can result in fines. The problem with a lot of e-waste is that it is made from a concoction of materials, so this makes is difficult to separate.
Before you condemn old PCs and mobiles to the rubbish heap, check online and see if you can donate it to a local charity. Some organisations repurpose old tech for the benefit of others.
Day 7 – Clothes
If you’ve made it this far you are winning! You may look at your wardrobe and see little value inside, but someone else may disagree with you. Needlessly throwing clothes away is a ridiculous concept, especially when so many people could benefit from them.
Consider donating your clothes to charity shops in person or ask local schools if they can profit from your donation.
Congrats, you’ve made it. If you do a little bit of recycling each day you could make a huge difference. Knowing what can be recycled is the key to being a positive force for change.