There comes a time when we look at our recycling and think ‘are we recycling as much as we could’?

There comes a time when we look at our recycling and think ‘are we recycling as much as we could’?  Glass, paper, cardboard, tin, plastic, food, we are all familiar with these recyclables, however we’re not so familiar with recycling things like used tyres (rubber), old furniture, old paint, and many other household products.

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Old tyres can be used on many upcycling projects including shredding to make the base of a kid’s play area, or stacking to make a wall, or filling with a top or base to make a plant pot, swing, or even a seat.

Old furniture can be upcycled to make brand new furniture, and kids toys.  It can even be offered to a local Charity shop for them to sell on, especially if in good condition.  Old furniture can be donated to local community groups, it can be broken down and all the parts be reused for an entirely different purpose.

Old used paint tins clog up our cellars, lofts, cupboards under the stairs, garages, and outhouses, but if all the contents are emptied into just one large tin the paint will become a brand new, unique shade that can be used in the future for other DIY projects.

This list goes on and can include recyclables that we can also make money from!  These include things like car batteries, scrap metal, ink cartridges, cans, bottles, wine barrels and beer barrels.  Plus of course clothing can be recycled and is sold by weight.

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Ink cartridges are especially prevalent in today’s society as almost all businesses have a printer, plus many millions of homes have a printer too.  When purchasing ink cartridges always check to see if the store offers a discount if returning old used cartridges.  Sometimes supermarkets, department stores, or shops offer added value to their customer service by offering extra store card points if ink cartridges are returned once used.

Looking in an average home kitchen bin, there are usually a number of items that could have been recycled and not thrown in the household rubbish bin – these include aerosols like deodorant and hairspray, and the most commonly thrown item a kid’s yoghurt pot!  Simply keep to one side and place in the recycling along with all other recycled items.

The workplace is becoming a leader in recycling, with most large scale businesses having a corporate social responsibility to help the environment, using recycling to meet corporate targets.

Most businesses have separate recycling bins for paper, card, plastic cups, and some have food waste bins, these are collected by the local council, or by a private recycling collection vans.  

We are all starting to recycle more whether at home or at work, and as long as we are aware of what we throw away, we should be able to determine which items to recycle or to send to landfill.  

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