Most of the goods we use can be recycled in one way or another, and there are many different schemes now available to make it easy for you to recycle and re-use unwanted goods.
"Like a shadow that does not permit us to jump over it, but moves with us to maintain its proper distance, pollution is nature's answer to culture. When we have learned to recycle pollution into potent information, we will have passed over completely into the new cultural ecology." — William Irwin Thompson
Some interesting facts about recycling
The UK only recycles a small proportion of its rubbish, yet Switzerland, Holland and Germany recycle over half of their waste.
Paper The demand for paper places pressure on the world's forests. Instead of using paper once and throwing it away, recycling paper and cardboard is better for the environment.
Compost It isn't necessary to use up natural, valuable peat bogs to make compost. You can make your own organic compost from vegetable peelings, tea, coffee and garden waste.
Plastic Most plastic is made from oil which takes hundreds of years to degrade in landfill sites or produces toxic smoke from incinerators. Companies need to stop over-packaging items whilst reducing the amount of plastic they use.
Metals Two-thirds of the metal wasted comes from steel or aluminium cans and foil. Recycling these is easy, profitable and saves resources and energy. Aluminium cans could be recycled indefinitely saving 95 per cent of energy needed to make new.
Glass 30 gallons of oil are saved for every tonne of glass which is recycled.
Others Old clothes, toys and furniture can be re-used. Other products can be reprocessed if they are broken down into component parts. Manufacturers should be making products that last and are recycleable. In fact, virtually everything can be recycled!
While you're considering your options for recycling, make sure that you print your thank you cards on recycled paper.
Freecycle helps to match people who have things they need to get rid of with local people who can use them. It's goal is to keep usable items out of landfill and enhance local community spirit. For free! www.uk.freecycle.org
ESE Direct supply a large range of industrial equipment atup to 70% off trade prices. Amongst other things, they supply office recycling bins to aid efficiency and ease of office recycling. By making recycling easier people are more likely to participate making these a must for every office!
FoneAid is part of the Eazyfone Group, leaders in the collection, recycling and re-use of mobile phones and their components. FoneAid was launched in January 2007 after the huge success of the Fones4Schools campaign, the mobile phone recycling campaign for educational establishments across the UK. www.foneaid.org.uk
Efreeko is a national website of items that people recycle for free. Do you want free stuff - or have you got items you no longer need? Efreeko is the answer, free to join, free to list and free to get items. Help to reduce, reuse and recycle. www.efreeko.co.uk
Recycling Supermarket is an information service for up-to-date news, information and guides on everything to do with recycling, waste management and the environment. www.recyclingsupermarket.com
Another Mans Treasure offer a free recycling website where users can easily list and find unwanted items both in their local area and throughout the UK. Pay for delivery of many free items across the country instantly online. www.anothermanstreasure.co.uk
Renew-Reuse-Recycle
Renew-Reuse-Recycle is an online community all about what we can do to stop or mitigate the effects of climate change. The site includes news and information about renewable energy systems, blogs of people's own experiences in adopting some of them and forums where you can ask for advice. www.renew-reuse-recycle.com
Greengonzo lets you find and recycle things people are giving away in your area. Its like eBay, except everything's completely free. www.greengonzo.com
Green Home Electronics repair, refurbish and sell used hi fi equipment from the industry's leading manufacturers. Their aim is to reduce landfill by putting used equipment back to use, all items are fully tested for function and safety before being sold. Green Home Electronics exists to deliver value to our customers, the environment and the community in which we live and work. www.greenhomeelectronics.co.uk
Digital Links is a charity that provide a top-quality IT disposal service and then refurbish equipment to be reused in the developing world. www.digital-links.org
Recycle-more - the one-stop recycling information centre, with help and advice on all aspects of recycling at home, at school and in the workplace. www.recycle-more.co.uk
If you have goods you want or do not want, then you can advertise them for free on reuze and help with recycling. www.reuze.co.uk
