When it comes to recycling you really need to be looking at the bigger picture. The ultimate question is, why are we doing this? We are all in it together, wanting to help our planet and our environment, doing our part to recycle as much as we possibly can. Here’s a few interesting facts we thought we’d share with you, which after reading, might make you look at all recycling differently.
Does all of our general waste end up in a landfill?
Did you know that most people think that all our general waste ends up in landfills? well it doesn’t. Most of it is used to make electricity. The waste collected in and around greater Manchester goes to mechanical treatment facility in Manchester to be shredded and then sent onto an energy recovery facility in Runcorn.
Making something old new again
Everything from your grey, blue, brown and green bins is recycled into something new. Egg shells and tea bags into compost, glass jars and bottles are recycled into more glass. Where as plastic bottles aren’t just recycled back into plastic bottles, they are then recycled into things like sweaters and fleece jackets. 63 bottles can actually be recycling into a brand new sweater!
Did you know a fruit punnet recycled properly can power a school for two months?
Another interesting fact, if every home in Greater Manchester, put a plastic fruit punnet into their general waste bin it would make enough electricity to power a primary school for two whole months. Think how sharing this interesting fact with your children could help spread the word through their schools and contribute to recycling.
One empty can will power your TV for three hours
Recycling one empty aluminium can will save enough energy to let you watch the BBC news for three hours or even power your ipod for 20 hours! 90% of all drinks cans in the UK are made from aluminium, yet over 80 million cans are still sent to UK landfills every single day!
The energy used to make a single aluminium can is the same amount used to recycle 20 aluminium cans. It is one of the few recyclable products that can be recycled numerous times without any loss of its quality.
Do your bit!
The worst attitude anyone can have is, “someone else will do it, so everything will be fine”. This is simply not true, We all have to come together to create a greener, brighter future. So I guess what we’re trying to say is, do your bit by recycle properly and by spreading the word so others join in.
