Sick of recycling - should I stop?

Volcano

If you read JennyB's link to the Daily Mail article it does say:

Liverpool-based freight-forwarding firm Warrant Group ships out more than 750 tons of plastic waste a week - nearly 40,000 tons a year. It also exports 750,000 tons of recycled paper and cardboard a year to the Pacific Rim.
Director Ian Jones, 37, said: "These days the biggest export from the UK is waste products. Waste paper, waste plastics and waste metals are in demand in China and the Far East."

And:

"The Chinese government has attempted to crack down on waste imports and has heavily fined companies for bringing in material without permission. But there is huge demand from Chinese factories for recycled plastic - to make items ranging from bottles and CD cases to duvets and garden sheds."

The bulk of the waste IS being recycled, They may incinerate that which can't, but then so do we. I agree that this recycling should be done in the UK where working conditions are better, but I'm guessing that the profits for doing this haven't reached the level where a (UK) company feels this is economically viable.

Local councils are still getting to grips with recycling, unfortunatly the bureaucrats know very little about this relatively new initiative and we can't expect them to be as proactive, knowledgable and educated as ourselves! One day they will catch up with us so we need to be patient until that day arrives.

The whole idea with recycling is to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as you can. It is the "as much as you can" that is important here: JennyB obviously does an excellent job with her waste, does anyone here do better? I'm guessing not many......

Recycling nothing is appaling, recycling everything is impossible, trying your best is a massive leap in the right direction. JennyB, (and everyone else) just do your best. You ARE making a difference.

Altarf

freeloader wrote:

also, just noticed those guardian and times links are 2 years old - can anyone come up with more recent (credible) articles?

Nice to know the Guardian and Times are not credible.

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=845&ArticleID=1665414

freeloader

Altarf wrote:

Nice to know the Guardian and Times are not credible.

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=845&ArticleID=1665414

Who said they're not credible? The stories were 2 years old. That's all. I wouldn't imply anything about Peterborough Today's credibility either....

JennyB

I wonder what the rest of Europe do with their recycling? From this recycling league table it's clear that most of Europe recycle more than us, but I wonder if countries like Austria who recycle over 60% of their waste also ship much of it abroad or whether they have domestic facilities to process it. If there are facilities in other European countries then it would at least be better to use those than ones in the Far East surely?

Cardew

freeloader wrote:

, rinse bottles, THEN stamp on them), then keep them in an IKEA bag or similar in the car boot so that you can unload them when you go to the supermarket.
Cans - ditto (especially beer & sweet drinks cans)

Rinse Bottles and cans? You joke surely?

freeloader

Cardew wrote:

Rinse Bottles and cans? You joke surely?

only after they've had drowned slugs in them, duh :rolleyes:

code-a-holic

Im in the same boat- fed up of hoarding things for recycling.

We dont have any form of recycling collection, so have to go to recycling points dotted around the place. fair play there are quite a few around, these points are for paper, cans,glass, Being out in the sticks - i try to use these if im passing anyway. But the local tip is a 1 hour trip - no where near anywhere i normally go. So the rubbish stacks up until there is enough to make a full load to make it worthwhile. Our county promote that if we dont recycle more the council will be fined by the government - but they dont offer to pick any up out of the main towns - grrrr.

tara

Back in Malaysia, my Mum gets money for selling paper, cans, glass and plastic containers. They would be vans honing around neighbourhood wanting to buy them. And my Mum would find the best price offers before selling them. Over here in Glasgow City Centre, let alone in selling these items, I have difficulties in binning them ethically.

arkonite_babe

Cardew wrote:

Rinse Bottles and cans? You joke surely?

Nope, I rinse ALL my bottles cans and glass. Stops them smelling and attracting unwanted creepies

It's also a condition that my local authority asks for

Bryson House Recycling


Just do it while you do the dishes, no hardship really!

Cardew

arkonite_babe wrote:

Nope, I rinse ALL my bottles cans and glass. Stops them smelling and attracting unwanted creepies

It's also a condition that my local authority asks for

Bryson House Recycling


Just do it while you do the dishes, no hardship really!

We are constantly being told water is a precious resource and we are to save it.

water also costs the consumer money if metered.(I don't think NI has metered water does it?)

Perhaps we should blow dry them as well.

P.S. Don't do dishes - have a machine for that.