Reducing your recycling sounds inherently wrong doesn’t it? Surely we should be recycling more? It may sound incorrect, but it’s oh so right.
You see, whilst recycling is a fantastic last resort, it shouldn’t be your first priority. Recycling still uses up large quantities of energy, and many plastic items can only be recycled twice before they become unusable and head to landfill. That’s why this Recycle Week 2021 we wanted to look at ways you can reduce the need to recycle, and the products that’ll help you get there.
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On the go lunch essentials
The UK’s lunch-on-the-go habit generates just under 11 billion pieces of plastic pollution per year. As plastic is the hardest material to recycle, with the shortest recycling life span, it’s the material we most need to reduce when it comes to recycling.
With these lunch statistics being so astronomically high, this is a great place to start. We know it’s not possible for everyone, but if you can bring your own lunch to work rather than opting for the supermarket meal deal, your recycling rate – as well as your plastic consumption – will improve drastically, and help make a positive dent on this scary statistic!
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Toothpaste tabs
While regular toothpaste tubes have been unrecyclable for a long time, schemes are starting to come into place to accept them, although these are still few and far between.
Toothpaste tabs on the other hand have no single use packaging at all, making your recycling rate plummet on this particular product - in the best possible way! Each tin comes filled with a 1 month supply, and is easily refillable with compostable refill bags. The result? Absolutely zero waste, zero recycling, and, as they still contain fluoride, no compromise on oral hygiene.
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Gift bags
Gifting is one of the great joys in life, and of course we all have that prehistoric part of our brain that just LOVES opening up shiny packaging to discover what’s inside, and we would never deny you that!
If you’re looking to reduce your recycling rate however, consider gift bags – they give you the same ‘what’s in the box?’ levels of excitement, but (when looked after properly) can be reused time and time again for years to come.
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Laundry strips
We’re big purveyors of laundry strips here at EcoVibe, and here’s why - they contain zero plastic and are housed in paper packaging which is completely compostable. 700 million plastic laundry detergent jugs are thrown away each year in the United States alone, and those that are recycled can only be recycled once or twice until they’re no longer usable.
If you’re looking to reduce your recycling rate in just one area, we couldn’t recommend laundry strips more for both maximum impact and minimum effort.
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Food wraps
While the classic tinfoil has a much greater recycle rate than other single use items on our list, the energy required by it's recycling process makes replacing it with a reusable item still the best possible option (and don’t even get us started on cling film).
Enter: food wraps. Food wraps are fantastic as they keep food fresher for longer, and at their end of their lengthy lives, are biodegradable and compostable - no recycling, no waste and much cuter lunches!
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Cleaning sachets
The final item on our list is a bit of a biggie. The average person uses around 30 cleaning spray bottles a year in their home, and all of these can only be recycled a couple of times. That's almost a billion plastic bottles every year ultimately being sent to landfill, for something that's completely preventable!
By using plastic-free, soluble cleaning sachets instead, you can use the same bottle forever, save space in your home, and still achieve spotless cleaning.
We hope that some of these ideas gave you a little inspiration for reducing the recycling in your life. If you have any ideas of your own, we’d love to hear them in the comments below!
For more eco tips and tricks, have a browse around our blog.