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Did you know...

Posted on: 20/05/2014

We are regularly told that recycling is a great way of conserving the environment; whilst it also saves both energy and money. Despite being told this, it can sometimes be difficult to get our heads around just how effective recycling can be. In 2003/04, UK households produced 30.5 million tonnes of waste, of which only 17% was recycled. Last year this figure had fallen to 22.6 million tonnes; with 43.2% sent to be recycled. This sounds like an impressive figure, though it is still difficult to comprehend. So here are a few simple facts that show how recycling can be beneficial:
  • One recycled tin saves enough energy to power your television for another THREE hours.
  • 16% of the money you spend on a product pays for the packaging. If you pay £100 for something, you are effectively throwing £16 in the bin.
  • Up to 80% of a vehicle could actually be recycled.
Aluminium Facts:
  • 24 million tonnes of aluminium is produced annually.
  • If every aluminium can produced was recycled we would need 14 million fewer dustbins.
  • It takes just 6 weeks to recycle an aluminium can.
Glass Facts:
  • Each year the average UK family uses 500 glass jars and bottles.
  • Any glass sent to landfill will NEVER decompose.
  • One recycled glass bottle could save enough energy to power your computer for another 25 minutes.
Paper:
  • 1 ton of newspaper is the equivalent of 24 trees.
  • The average person in the UK gets through 38kg of newspapers every year.
  • 73% less air pollution is produced recycling paper, compared to creating new.
Plastic:
  • Roughly 15 million plastic bottles are used in the UK every year; that's about 275,000 tonnes of plastics!
  • If every plastic bottle used in the UK was recycled you could save enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for 45 MILLION HOURS.
  • Plastic can take up to FIVE HUNDRED years to decompose.
  • There is a 4% increase in the amount of plastic used in Western Europe every year.
Cardboard recycling