Why is recycling so important?

Reduce, reuse, recycle? Ever heard of this group of three “r’s”?

Before we even begin to chat about why recycling is so important, take a look at that first word...REDUCE...

The majority of the world are consumers! We throw away an appliance that can be fixed, we shop for therapy, we do not care for what we have... (we can always just buy another one can’t we?).

Reducing what we buy, from food to clothes, from cars to appliances, is the first thing that those looking for a simple green life need to consider. This also means learning to make your own basic food stuffs so that you get away from boxes of mixes and convenience foods.

Reusing those things that we have already in our home is the second step. It’s a great creative outlet to think up uses for products past their day! So whether it is toilet roll now used for a seedling pot or a motor from an appliance for a child’s toy, or a wooden box used in the fire place, look at each thing in your home long and good before sending it to better pastures.

What is left can then be sent for recycling. You can recycle food waste within your home. Other items can be sorted in your home recycling centre and then taken to a collection point.

Now that the items ready to be sent away have been reduced take a look at these interesting recycling facts:

• Most waste ends up in landfill sites. Toxic matter leeches into the soil and ground water.
• Contrary to what many believe items being recycled are not always made into the same product. That is to say recycled plastic may not end up as plastic again. Polar fleece is partially made with recycled plastic bottles!
• Many criticize recycling as sometimes that actual process of recycling the items uses a lot of energy and other resources to make it into something useable again.
• Often items that can be recycled cannot be recycled in their country of origin. Thus the waste needs to be sent via air or sea to another country to be recycled.
• Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 trees (That’s the tree hugger in me coming out again!)
• Recycling creates jobs for millions of people around the world!
• You can make 20 cans out of recycled material with the same amount of energy it takes to make one new one.

Are you convinced? Read further and let me show you some easy ways to get recycling in your home:

Specific instructions on how to recycle:

Food waste

Garden refuse

Computers

Plastic bags

Aluminium

Tyres/tires

Cell phones

Batteries

Grey water

Printer cartridges

Read more recycling facts on how to get started, eco-friendly products and more.