Why is recycling important?

We are all aware of the dangers facing us from the effects of climate change.  Reducing the amount of pollution in the atmosphere could help slow down or even stop this phenomenon in it’s tracks.  Oil and gas are now limited resources and recycling materials rather then in many cases saves significant amounts of energy.

The Benefits of Recycling

• Recycling benefits the environment by significantly reducing air and water pollutants.

• It is important to reduce our reliance on oil and gas.  Recycling helps us do that by saving energy which in turn reduces production costs.

• It takes 95% less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to make it from raw materials. Making recycled steel saves 60%, recycled newspaper 40%, recycled plastics 70%, and recycled glass 40%. These savings far outweigh the energy created as by-products of incineration and landfilling.

• UK households dispose of around 4.9 million tonnes of packaging and 8.3 million tonnes of food and drink waste every year. (WRAP)

• Landfill sites produce large quantities of methane gas, polluting the atmosphere.  They also produce a liquid called leachate which contaminates the soil and watercourses.  It is critical that we divert as much waste from landfill as we can.

• Recycling 1 tonne of plastic bottles saves 1.5 tonne of carbon being released into the atmosphere.

• Plastic bottles do not necessarily have to be recycled back into more bottles.  Just 25 recycled PET bottles can be used to make an adult fleece jacket

Recycling ‘On The Go’

Most of us now are used to separating our household waste at home but when we are out and about, it gets more difficult.  It’s not that we don’t want to recycle when we are out, it’s just that there is no where for us to recycle!  That is why we set up Recycle Zone, to make sure that as many consumers as possible have the facilities to carry on the good work that they do at home.