Top Things to Recycle and Reuse [Infographic]

Mark Dawson http://www.globepackaging.co.uk 5m 1,184 #recycling

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

20 Things to Recycle and Reuse

One of the problems with used products is their recycling and re-usability. When it comes to recycling we start thinking of aluminum cans, plastic bottles and grocery bags.  However, many of us are still unaware of the fact that today almost everything can be recycled. Most of the plastics used today can be easily recycled and can be again converted to the usable forms. In the infographic below, check out how some of our day to day used materials can be easily recycled.

Food – Compost can help you a lot in utilizing the waste food. Set up compost in the backyards and move all the waste food to compost. Once they are decomposed they can be used as fertilizers for your garden.

Computers – Old computers can easily be donated to the schools or library. In case the computer is no more in working condition, it can be sent to the recycling centers as well.

Cell Phones – Cell phones can be easily recycled. Once you send them to your nearby recycling centers they can be recycled and then they can be easily used for manufacturing the new mobiles.

Tires – Tires cannot be used for landfills as they occupy a lot of space and emits harmful gases during decomposition. But they can be readily recycled in order to make new products.

Card Boxes, Magazines, Books, Paper – These products are 100% recyclable and therefore instead of dumping them to waste they can be sent to recycling centers. Once recycled they can be used again for something else.

These are just some of the examples of how we can recycle our day to day wastes and help to reduce pollution and increase the usability of the products.

In order to get more insight do check our infographic as well.

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Top 20 Things To Recycle and Reuse ♲

When people think of recycling, they think about recycling things such as aluminum cans, plastic water bottles, and plastic grocery bags. But in reality, you can recycle almost anything. Here is a list of 20 common things you can recycle.

1. Food – Setup a compose heap in your backyard. Instead of throwing old food in the trash, throw it in the compost heap. You can use it to fertilize your garden.
2. Computers – If your computer still works, ou can donate it to a local library, school, or charity. If it no longer operates, contact your local recycling center.
3. Cell Phones – Cell phones can be recycled for their parts which are re-used in new cell phones.
4. Tires – Tires are harmful for landfills as they consume a lot of space, and can leach dangerous chemicals over time and can cause fire hazard. Tires are taken by local recycling centers and can be used for a variety of purposes. These tires can be shredded for rubber mulch, recycled into new tires, and recycled into rubber containers.
5. Magazines – Since magazines are made up of paper, all recycling centers and local curbside recycling services will accept these. You can also donate these to local schools or libraries.
6. Paint – Paint is considered as hazardous waste. You cannot dispose off paint by dumping it into a drain or storm sewer. Many recycling centers accept paint which can be blended into some fuels at different manufacturing facilities.
7. Books – Books can be donated to schools, libraries and other charities. Also, these can be recycled at your local recycling center or in your local curbside recycling program.
8. Batteries – If you’re not already using rechargeable batteries, please consider doing so. Most recycling centers will accept batteries, depending on its type.
9. Plastic Bags – Every supermarket has a bin located at the front for dropping off your plastic bags. You can also create some interesting decorative items from old supermarket plastic bags.
10. Television – Old TV sets fill landfills and can leak dangerous chemicals harmful to animals and humans as well. If the TV works, you can sell it or give it to charity. If it does not work, most local recycling centers will take them free of charge.
11. Fire Extinguishers – Contact your hazardous waste center to learn how to recycle your fire extinguisher.
12. Paper – Every type of paper can be recycled including notebook paper, newspapers, food packaging, etc. All recycling centers accept paper and most communities now have recycling programs with curbside pick-up for paper.
13. Cardboard Boxes – Man local non-profit firms accept these boxes for their personal use.
14. Shoes – Charities and thrift shops will accept shoes which can be used. Nike also has a used shoe program that sends used athletic shoes to Africa and Latin America.
15. Clothes – Clothes are one of the easiest things to recycle as so many charitable organizations will accept them such as Goodwill, Veteran’s Support Groups, Salvation Army, and many churches around your locality.
16. Glass – Recycling glass containers of any type is generally about 33% more efficient than producing it from scratch. This saves energy consumption which reduces carbon emissions.
17. Vintage Jewelry – Almost every jewelry item can be melted down and refashioned into something new for you. Recycle your jewelry and get a new item with an improved design.
18. Old Christmas Lights – How many times have you pulled out the Christmas lights from last year and they did not work? Instead of throwing them away, recycle them. Some lighting companies will take these.
19. Appliances – Washers, dryers, stoves, and refrigerators are accepted by local thrift shop or charitable organizations. If the product is not working, take it to your local recycling center.
20. Eyeglasses – Old glasses can be donated to many charitable organizations. If you are not aware of any such organization, your eye doctor will also take them and send them to a deserving charity.

SOME INTERESTING RECYCLING FACTS

Aluminum

• 24 million tons of aluminum is produced annually, 51,000 tons of which ends up as packaging in the UK.
• If all the cans in the UK were recycled, we would need 14 million fewer dustbins.
• £36,000,000 worth of aluminum is thrown away each year.

Glass

• Every family in the UK use on average of 500 glass bottles and jars annually.
• The largest glass furnace produces over 1 million glass bottles and jars per day.
• Glass is 100% recyclable and can be used again and again.

Paper

• Recycled paper produces 73% less air pollution than if it was made from raw materials.
• 12.5 million tons of paper and cardboard are used annually in the UK.
• On average, a single family in the UK use 38kg of newspapers per year.

Plastic

• 275,000 tons of plastic are used each year in the UK, that’s about 15 million bottles per day.
• Most families throw away about 40kg of plastic per year, which could otherwise be recycled.
• The use of plastic in Western Europe is growing about 4% every year.

Brought to you by:
GlobePackaging

Source: http://www.globepackaging.co.uk/blog/20-things-can-reuse-recycle-infographic/

About the Author

Mark Dawson is a digital marketer with the passion of blogging on varied platforms which include fashion industry, digital marketing and packaging industry. He is working as a Marketing Strategies at Globe Packaging.

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