Recycling and money saving hierarchy

Former_Spice

We hear lots about recycling nowadays but many people don't realise that there are better ways to use less resources, reduce climate change and save money.
This is the hierarchy that the Environment Agency use.

1. DON'T USE.
Don't drive unnecessarily for example or accept new plastic bags every time you go shopping. It takes oil to make the plastic bags and to transport them to the supermarket which adds to CO2 emissions and the costs impact on your shopping bill.

2. USE LESS
Drive efficiently as in Martins driving advice.
Almost any product that you buy takes energy, oil to produce it then transport it to you. It’s better for the Environment not to use up resources unsustainably in the first place rather than recycle.

3. RE-USE
Rather than throw paper away, think about whether you can use it for scrap note paper for example. Re-using you eBay packaging again is much better than recycling it and saves you money.
I am sure you can think of lots of other examples along those lines.

4. RECYCLE
Better to use paper again to make a new book, rather than cut down another tree.

Also .whatever landfill it would have gone into doesn’t fill up as quickly, so in the long run that saves you money as you are not paying for rubbish to be taken to another landfill that’s further away. Also, selling paper, glass etc creates an income for local authorities which offsets rising costs such as heating buildings therefore lowering council tax increases.

5. BLACK BIN/ RUBBISH TIP DISPOSAL.
More expensive than recycling, wastes resources

6. UNLAWFULL DISPOSAL.
Illegal, selfish and costs everyone money to dispose of it properly.

greenbee

Great post. Thanks!

There's also the repair/repurpose/remanufacture option to consider. If you can work with the existing product rather than having to separate it into its component parts in order to recycle the materials, you will be saving the energy involved in the recycling and manufacturing processes.

Valli

My council collects batteries to recycle. I bring them home from work BUT had to go out to point out to the blokes that they ARE supposed to take them! They also have a collection centre where they even take juice cartons - but it would require a drive to get there and take them - and I throw 2 or 3 away a week.
I don't use tissues though - I use handkerchiefs...easily washed (and ironed!)
What I would LOVE to see is a return to glass packaging.

And the attitude that drives me mental?

'I pay my council tax so they SHOULD take away ALL my rubbish and I don't see why I should traipse to the recycling centre (in sight of her house actually) to get rid of it.'

I tell my kids I am NOT doing it for me but for them and their kids....

greenbee

Valli wrote: »

My council collects batteries to recycle. I bring them home from work BUT had to go out to point out to the blokes that they ARE supposed to take them! They also have a collection centre where they even take juice cartons - but it would require a drive to get there and take them - and I throw 2 or 3 away a week.
I don't use tissues though - I use handkerchiefs...easily washed (and ironed!)
What I would LOVE to see is a return to glass packaging.

And the attitude that drives me mental?

'I pay my council tax so they SHOULD take away ALL my rubbish and I don't see why I should traipse to the recycling centre (in sight of her house actually) to get rid of it.'

I tell my kids I am NOT doing it for me but for them and their kids....

It sounds like you need to get your workplace to set up contracts for recycling as well as for waste disposal. There are lots of other items they should be dealing with responsibly as they are also considered to be hazardous waste (e.g. flourescent light bulbs).

As for cartons - we have NO tetrapak recycling anywhere near here, so I have a crate in my garage where I collect them, and take them with me when visiting friends who have facilities nearby (or give them to them to take away when they come to visit me ).

Valli

But a few AAA or AA batteries every so often easier for me to bring them home... and the kids I teach see me do it so an example is being set...