Recycling

Most of the goods we use can be recycled in one way or another, and there are many different schemes now available to make it easy for you to recycle and reuse unwanted goods.

Some interesting facts about recycling

The UK only recycles 17% of its rubbish, yet Switzerland, Holland and Germany recycle half their waste.

Paper

The demand for paper places pressure on the world's forests. Instead of using paper once and throwing it away, recycling paper and cardboard is better for the environment.

Compost

It isn't necessary to use up natural, valuable peat bogs to make compost. You can make your own organic compost from vegetable peelings, tea, coffee and garden waste.

Plastic

Most plastic is made from oil which takes hundreds of years to degrade in landfill sites or produces toxic smoke from incinerators. Companies need to stop over-packaging items whilst reducing the amount of plastic they use.

Metals

Two-thirds of the metal wasted comes from steel or aluminium cans and foil. Recycling these is easy, profitable and saves resources and energy. Aluminium cans could be recycled indefinitely saving 95 per cent of energy needed to make new.

Glass

30 gallons of oil are saved for every tonne of glass which is recycled.

Others

			Freecycle helps to match people who have things they need to get rid of with local people who can use them. It's goal is to keep usable items out of landfill and enhance local community spirit. For free! http://uk.freecycle.org/
			FoneAid – The free and easy mobile phone recycling campaign that raises you money. www.foneaid.org.uk
			Efreeko is a national website of items that people recycle for free. Do you want free stuff - or have you got items you no longer need? Efreeko is the answer, free to join, free to list and free to get items. Help to reduce, reuse and recycle at efreeko. www.efreeko.co.uk
			Green Home Electronics repair, refurbish and sell used hi fi equipment from the industry's leading manufacturers. Their aim is to reduce landfill by putting used equipment back to use, all items are fully tested for function and safety before being sold. Green Home Electronics exists to deliver value to our customers, the environment and the community in which we live and work. www.greenhomeelectronics.co.uk
			Digital Links is a charity that provide a top-quality IT disposal service and then refurbish equipment to be reused in the developing world. www.digital-links.org
			Recycle-more - the one-stop recycling information centre, with help and advice on all aspects of recycling at home, at school and in the workplace. www.recycle-more.co.uk
			If you have goods you want or do not want, then you can advertise them for free on reuze and help with recycling. www.reuze.co.uk