Did You Know? Facts on UK Recycling

How committed to recycling are you at home and in the workplace? More than 200 metric tonnes of waste are produced in this country every single year, and around 80% of that can be recycled. The UK has a target of 50% of waste being recycled by the year 2020 and although we have reached 44% that appears to be a plateau, as it hasn’t changed over the past few years. Some countries in Europe recycle almost 100% of their waste, so it is possible; it’s simply a matter of educating ourselves better. So, with two years to go to reach the target, and the fact that recycling benefits all of us and preserves our natural resources for future, Brewsters Waste Management have gathered some facts that will make you gasp in relation to recycling in this country.

What is recycling?

Some people think that recycling is simply re-using an item, but it’s more complex than that. Recycling is a process where waste materials are converted into something new and useful. The best example of this is paper – notebooks and paperbacks can be made from recycled paper, and now all newspapers in this country are made from 100% recycled newspaper. Each time you use recycled paper it means that one less tree needs to be cut down, which has a huge impact on the planet.

We need to recycle all our materials, and cut out using materials that cannot be recycled, so that we can cut down on pollution from manufacturing and waste going to landfills. This in turn helps our ecosystems – we protect plants and animals by cutting down on pollution and not destroying their natural habitats.

Facts on UK recycling

Recycling saves energy, resources and money so we can reap the rewards in the long-term.

Here are some other facts that you may not know recycling in the UK:

1. Recycling one can power a computer for 20 minutes. Every time you crack open that Sprite, think of how you could be powering your smartphone or laptop.
2. If we recycled every can in the UK, we would need 14 million less dustbins!
3. Every single day, more than 80 million food and drink cans end up in landfill in the UK
4. Every year, the UK uses the equivalent of a forest the size of Wales in paper
5. Every tonne of recycled paper saves 17 trees from being cut down
6. We are doing better with recycling paper, last year we recycled enough to save 34,700 trees – the size of 35 football pitches
7. Plastic can take up to 500 years to decompose  – make sure there are plenty of recycling spots on your premises!
8. 25 2L plastic bottles can make 1 adult sized fleece – so that summer party you throw could keep you warm in winter.
9. Plastic is killing our oceans – bottles and packages that end up in the sea kill over 1 million marine creatures every single year
10. 5 out of every 6 glass bottles are thrown in the bin, even though glass is 100% recyclable and these bottles could be recycled again and again.
11. Recycling a glass bottle saves enough energy to power a computer
12. The UK throws out around GBP 13 billion pounds of food every year that could have been eaten
13. The average person in the UK throws away around 74 kg of food each year

See how little effort you need to make a change?

Environmentally Friendly Waste Management Services

Brewsters Waste Management have a zero to landfill commitment so you know that when we look after your waste disposal that you are doing your part for our environment. Get in touch to speak to us about wheelie bins, skip hire or waste collection in your area.