Why Recycle?

Once we have reduced our waste as much as possible and reused or refurbished other items, then the next best option is to recycle or compost. Recycling saves waste being sent to recovery or landfill. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are produced by the decomposing waste. Rubbish sent to modern landfills is carefully managed but landfill sites still produce around a third of the UK’s methane emissions.  Recycling in the UK is estimated to save more that 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, the equivalent of taking 5 million cars off the road.

When we recycle, the materials are made into new products. Recycling paper saves trees being cut down, and recycling aluminium drinks cans reduces the need to mine bauxite. Therefore, recycling helps to conserve limited raw materials and valuable natural resources.

Making products from recycled materials uses significantly less energy than extracting and the refining the materials for making products from raw materials – even taking into account associated costs such as transport etc. Using recycled materials also avoids some of the air and water pollution created by the mining, quarrying, logging, refining and processing of raw materials and protects natural habitats.