With a renewed focus on sustainability across the globe, everybody has their part to play. Encouragingly, recycling rates in the UK have been on the up steadily since 2010. This is thanks to initiatives such as the Government’s Circular Economy Package.
As part of the package, the Government wants to hit a target of 65% of all waste recycled by 2035. As homeowners and businesses, we all have a responsibility to make this a reality. It can be as simple as making a few changes to waste sorting – but can make a huge difference.
Where does my waste go if it’s not recycled?
Waste that was destined for UK recycling centres may not always head that way. This could be for a few reasons including costs or food contaminants. The good news is that the alternatives may not always be harmful to the environment.
Some waste is sent to other countries for recycling
This cost-cutting measure sends our plastic waste to other countries including Turkey, Malaysia and China to be recycled. This is strictly monitored as it is illegal to send waste to other countries that will not be recycled.
China announced in 2018 that it would no longer take plastic waste that was not 99.5% pure – putting the onus on us to make sure it’s clean and well sorted.
Some waste goes to incinerators
An alternative to landfill sites is incinerators. These take up less space than landfill and have less of an impact on local wildlife. Of course, the ideal scenario would be to have no waste designated for landfill whatsoever. Hearteningly, according to Channel 4’s Dispatches, just 11% of household waste goes to these sites.
Some waste is sent to landfill
Another encouraging figure, just 17% of the UK’s plastic waste goes to landfill. This is not all household waste, either – a significant portion comes from industry such as construction. In 2020, the UK Government announced a £22.5 million fund to transform industrial waste.
What can I do to make sure my waste is recycled?
Obviously, we can’t be expected to monitor every step in the waste journey. But there is a lot we can do to make recycling as simple as possible.
Educating ourselves
Recycling is very different throughout the UK – in fact, the BBC discovered that there are 39 different sets of rules for plastic recycling in England alone. So, it helps to make sure we’re familiar with processes such as:
- What kind of paper/plastics local councils take
- What plastics are actually recyclable
- How to read the label on packaging
This recycling roadmap from the British Plastics Federation is a great place to start.
Sorting waste appropriately
Again, this comes back to educating ourselves. Make sure you’re familiar with the local recycling processes in your area and read the labels. For example, if the lid cannot be recycled on a plastic bottle, this could risk contaminating the whole batch.
Washing waste to prevent contamination
Food contamination is one of the biggest reasons why recyclable products don’t get recycled. Washing out food jars can make all the difference – while some centres will wash products for you, it’s best to rinse to be safe. Similarly, greasy packaging such as pizza boxes will diminish the quality. Crumbs are fine; grease is not.
Work with the right people
At hubba, we create waste management audits to give you better transparency over where your waste goes, and what you can do to lessen your environmental impact. We believe that sustainability comes down to education and innovation. By equipping you with both, we can empower you to do your part for the planet and secure a greener future.