21 Sep Save the Planet – Recycling Week
We’re pleased to support the causes of Less Plastic UK as part of our ongoing Save the Planet campaign, by raising awareness and donating towards the cause.
It’s Recycling Week! Recycling is one of the easiest ways that we can make a difference to the environment. Our recycling choices really have an impact, and every little helps in getting one step closer to saving the planet!
Why recycle?
Saves energy
Making products from new, raw materials requires a LOT more energy than from recycled materials. Aluminium one of the most used metals in the world (the cans we drink out of are made from aluminium) and creating aluminium from recycled products uses 95% less energy. So, make sure you recycle those Diet Coke cans!
Cuts carbon emissions
Sourcing and creating new materials needs a lot of energy, which produces carbon emissions. The fashion industry alone is responsible for 10% of the world’s carbon emissions. Simply making some changes in buying habits and buying pre-loved, second-hand items make a huge difference to the environment. Vinted, eBay, Depop, etc. are all great sources of recycling. Plus, if you’re selling you could make some extra cash which never goes amiss, eh?
Reduces landfills
If we recycle more, we waste less. Less waste drastically reduces the need for landfills. Rubbish that decays in landfills can emit methane (this is 30 times as potent as carbon dioxide) – the less of that, the better!
Conserves natural resources and protects ecosystems
Without recycling, there is a need to harvest new materials from the world’s finite supply. Recycling paper and wood prevents deforestation. Recycling metal reduces the need for mining. And so on. If we don’t properly recycle our plastic waste, it can be washed into seas and rivers, polluting coastlines thousands of miles away.
Creates jobs
As the recycling industry continues to grow, so do the job opportunities. There is more need for employees at manufacturing companies, recycling facilities, collection, and shops that sell reused materials i.e., charity shops.
You give something a new life!
Recycling used items means you’re creating something new.
Tips to help you recycle more and better:
Know what to throw and what not to throw
It may sound basic, but many items often end up in recycling bins where they don’t belong. Items such as batteries and electricals can and should be recycled, but at special recycling bins. If they end up in your household recycling bin, they can interfere with the process at recycling facilities. Some councils have different recycling guidelines that what you may be used to in your hometown, so it’s always best to check your council’s website if you’re not sure if you can recycle something. We’re always happy to help, just ask your property team or drop us an email at hello@primestudentliving.com.
Recycle ALL plastic bottles
Shampoo bottles, drink bottles, food bottles – they can all go!
Lids on, film off
Always remove plastic film as it cannot be recycled. If plastic film does end up at a recycling facility, there’s a risk of it becoming tangled in the machinery and disturbing the whole process. Lids, however, can be recycled. But they end up slipping through the recycling machinery if they’re not screwed on properly. So, remember – lids on, film off!
Bins
As a Prime resident, you’ll already have recycling bins in your kitchen. To go the extra mile, an extra recycling bin or binbag in your bathrooms and bedrooms would be a great step towards recycling more. So much of a home’s recyclable objects will come from your bathrooms and bedrooms! If you find your recycling takes up a lot of the kitchen bin, the downstairs bin stores are also split into general waste and recycling.
Empty your recyclables
Make sure you give cans, bottles, and cartons a swill to remove food waste before putting them in the recycling. If it isn’t clean, it can contaminate lots of other recycling, and all of it will likely end up in a landfill.
Reduce, reuse, recycle!
Ideally, we need to use less stuff. Single-use items should be a thing of the past. You could opt for Tupperware instead of sandwich bags, tin foil, or cling film. And the stuff that we do use should be reused as much as it can be before being recycled. For example, a jam or glass jar can used in multiple ways before being recycled. As a small vase for flowers, as a drinking glass, for dressing and sauces, to store items like cotton pads and buds, and more.
If you’re going to commit to something this week, let it be recycling. You’ll be reducing litter, breathing cleaner air, contributing to more jobs, and benefitting future generations.
