Today an astounding 91% of plastic is not recycled, instead it ends up in landfill sites. Plastic waste takes more than 400 years too degrade, so most of the plastic made still exists in some form which is why for the planet-conscious among us, recycling is essential! Read on to find out Brabantia's expert tips for recycling and feel like a recycling green goddess!
1. Look for the symbol
It's tricky to decipher what can and can't be recycled, the majority of what can be recycled are everyday household items such as plastic drink bottles, plastic cleaning bottles, butter, yoghurt and salad tubs, plastic trays for fruit and vegetables, plastic milk containers, plastic bottles for liquid soap or shampoo. But if you're ever in doubt, search for the green symbol with 3 rotating arrows, this means the item is safe to recycle.
2. Drop the plastic bags
Plastic bags and clingfilm are not recyclable because they get caught in the machines and cause problems. Be sure to remove bags from your plastic waste and simply reuse them next time you go shopping instead! Try and use a bag for life or an organic cotton shopping bag as often as possible to reduce demand for more plastic bags.
3. Dispose of disposable
Most of us buy and use convenient disposable products such as razors, polystyrene cups and plastic cutlery without a second thought. These kinds of single-use items are the cause for vast amounts of landfill, train yourself to consider the life expectancy of a plastic item and opt for longer life ones where possible.
4. Keep it stylish with a contemporary can to hide your recycling in
Nothing looks worse than a kitchen with recycling cluttering up the sideboards. Hide it away until it comes to collecting in can that suits your kitchen's decor. Recycling might be important but it doesn't have to be ugly.
5. Lastly, buy products with less plastic packaging
It may seem like an impossible task but there are now many more multinational companies who are aware of their environmental responsibility, look out for greener products with less packaging and support them where possible!
