More and more people recycle everyday. This helps to reduce the need for landfill and more costly forms of disposal. Recycling also reduces the need for extracting (mining, quarrying and logging), refining and processing raw materials all of which create substantial air and water pollution. This helps to save energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and helping to tackle climate change.

Whilst recycled materials are valuable commodities in the worldwide market and are financially important; recycling is good for the environment too.  It makes best use of our limited natural resources.

Recycling is a real success story – but there is still much more we can do. Here at Skewb we are trying to make a real effort to recycle as much as possible, and we need your help to make this a success.

In 2008-09 over 27 million tonnes of household waste was collected by local authorities. Of this:

• 50% of this waste was sent to landfill;
• 37% was recycled or composted; and
• 12% was incinerated for energy recovery.

The amount of waste we recycled in 2008 reached an impressive 8.7 million tonnes. That alone saved the same amount of CO2 that nearly a million return flights from London to Sydney would produce.

Five recycling myths

“There is no point recycling, it doesn’t make a difference”

Recycling stops tonnes of waste being buried in landfill. In the UK, recycling saves about 10-15 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year, the equivalent of taking 3.5 million cars off the road.

“My recycling will end up getting thrown away with the rubbish anyway”

Your recycled material is a valuable resource. Once it has been collected from your doorstep it is then sorted, bailed and transported to reprocessors to be made into new products.

“I don’t create any food waste so I don’t need to use a food waste collection”

We all create some unavoidable food waste such as peelings, egg shells, teabags and bones. We have a food waste collection in the office these can go into our food waste caddy.

“Paper can only be recycled a few times”

Whilst it is true that paper fibres start to break down once they have been recycled five-six times, even then they can still be put to good use in egg cartons, loft insulation, paints and even new road surfaces.

“Recycling metal uses more energy than extracting the raw material”

This is not true. Mining and processing metal uses huge amounts of resources and energy. Recycling cans saves up to 95% of the energy needed to make new cans from raw material.

To help make our recycling efforts worth while we need to be vigilant in what goes into which bins here in the Skewb office. Contamination (wrong item in the wrong bin) can cause fines for Skewb from the landlord and further down the line issues at the Recycling centre. Liquid, food, and grease on a recyclate (material being disposed of) not only compromise the recyclability of that piece of waste, but can also contaminate an entire bin. For example, the highest value recyclate is hard card and paper cup material, so utilising coffee cup recycling bins is really useful. But if that cup has coffee left within it, the coffee will devalue the entire bin of card-value paper! Then, there is the problem of simply putting the wrong things in the wrong recycling bins. Putting the wrong thing in the bin comes come from two opposite drivers: some people don’t care about recycling (and throw things any old place) and some people care so much that they “wish-cycle”, i.e. they throw anything remotely related to recycling in the recycling bin in hope that it won’t go to the landfill.

Common issues in the Skewb office:

• Dirty tissues in the recycling or food waste – these should go in the general waste, they are classed as a contaminant and CANNOT be recycled.
• Disposable cups – these can be recycled if they are EMPTY. Please don’t put any items in the recycling bins with liquids still in them. Could you consider using a reusable cup, or taking a mug downstairs with you should you treat your self to a hot drink from Tea & The Gang.
• Dirty paper plates / bowls etc – these are recyclable BUT they need to be wiped clean at least, with food on them still they are contaminated and are difficult to recycle.
• Crisp Packets – ARE NOT RECYCLEABLE along with sweet wrappers.

You may think that my constant stream of messages on our family chat asking people to be more mindful is a little over the top, but I’m looking after Skewb and in the long run the environment. I need your help. Please, pay more attention to what can go in which bin in the office. The recycling and food waste have clear bags so it is easy to see when there is a rouge item in there. If you’re in any doubt and aren’t in a position to ask put it in the general waste – but on your head be it!

So, which one are you? Don’t Care, Wish Cycle Or Clueless? Hopefully after reading this Clueless is no longer an option!

I want to thank you in advance for all your efforts in helping us dispose of our waste in a responsible manner. We can all do our bit for Skewb and a more sustainable future.

By Katie-Anne Ray

Katie-Anne Ray is Business Manager at Skewb. To speak with her about this topic in more detail, you can connect with her on katie-anne.ray@skewb.uk