Recycling, saving the planet? Or is it just plain old time wasting?
The notion of recycling is as ancient as human civilisation if you think about it. People did not throw things away because of necessity; the saying ‘the less we have the harder we have to think’ is still true. But then we got plastics, paper cups to name but two of many other disposable items that you use once and then throw away. It became so easy to just get a new one when something broke instead of mending it. A frenetic following of fashions has not helped, as it encourages low quality merchandise. After all, why bother getting something lasting if it is only for one season.
Gradually over a couple of decades -and more fervently so during the last few years perhaps- we have begun to realise once more how necessary reuse and recycling is. Technically speaking, it is simply the processing of used materials for them to be used again and again, in order to prevent the waste of potentially useful resources. But what it entails is reduction of consumption of raw materials, energy, and air and water pollution, ultimately a lowering of greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling is a key part of modern waste management. Or at least will be once we really start to do it.
Items that we use every day of our lives are recyclable materials; cardboard, glass, paper, plastics and electronics (such as computers and mobile phones).
The London Borough of Bexley has made it compulsory for all households to recycle items and biodegradable waste. They have supplied all households with three boxes and two bins;
Green Bin: Non-Recyclable Waste
Brown Bin: Biodegradable Waste
Maroon Box: Plastic Bottles & Cans
Black Box: Glass
Green Box: Paper & Cardboard
They also collect non-recyclable waste once a fortnight; this has forced people to become more aware of the amount of rubbish they have that can be recycled. This system has boosted recycling in the area considerably. Other places are initiating similar initiatives. Norwich City Council have started to, for want of a better word, litter sidewalks with blue bins, for recycling cardboard, plastic bottles etc. We will see how that works out. Other systems with recycling points -common in Germany, Sweden and many other countries- are alternatives that seem to function reasonably well.
Did you know that recycling an item made from recycled aluminium uses 5% of the energy required to make it from raw materials? Or that recycling two glass bottles saves enough energy to boil water for five cups of tea? (This probably should make us think far enough not to boil unnecessary litres if what we need is just ONE cup of tea.)
To sum it up: If less waste goes to a landfill, there will be a reduction in the release of methane, which is a particularly vicious greenhouse gas and contributor to climate change. Voilà.
Want to help save the planet? Recycle it.
