Waste not want not - why recycle?
The amount of waste we create is increasing faster than we can recycle it. And, unless we curtail our throwaway habits, there is no chance we will meet the Scottish Executive target of zero growth in waste by 2010.
Is it worth making the effort?
Definitely yes! Not only is it an environmentally responsible thing to do, it also makes economic sense.
Why don't we just bury it all in landfill sites? Lots of reasons - dangerous gases seep out as rubbish decomposes, contaminating the air. Toxic liquids seep into water supplies, damaging ecosystems and polluting the land. As rubbish decomposes, the ground sinks becoming unstable and practically redundant. They create nasty odours. Transportation to the sites is intrusive, noisy, constant and energy inefficient.
So what happens to recycled materials?
PAPER - once collected, the paper is transferred to a paper mill where the ink is removed by placing it in a pulper that holds large quantities of water. This is rotated until the paper breaks down into a fine pulp which is fed onto a mesh conveyor to drain away most of the water to leave a fine mat of tiny fibres. Once these fibres have reached the end of the conveyor a sheet of paper will be formed.
GARDEN WASTE - hedge and shrub pruning and clippings, grass cuttings, leaves, weeds, dead flowers and plants can be converted into soil conditioner, tree planting compost and soils.All collected green waste initially spends ten weeks in elongated heaps called "windrows". These are turned periodically before reaching temperatures of 55-65 degrees centigrade to destroy weed seeds or any other harmful elements to create safe compost which is left to mature for another few months.
ORGANIC WASTE - up to 30% of household waste is organic (mainly food waste) and, if put in a home composter, will break down naturally to produce a free soil conditioner. Composting is the ultimate way to complete the recycling loop "in-house" or in the back garden. Some Councils offer composters at reduced prices to encourage recycling.
GLASS - recycling glass uses 20% less energy and produces 20% less air pollution than its original production. It also reduces the amount of waste bottles and jars going to landfill sites (where they do not biodegrade) and helps cut down emissions by reducing the demand for energy. Some collected glass is used for road building as a replacement for aggregate. There are some glass products - lightbulbs, window panes and mirrors - which are not suitable for recycling.
ALUMINIUM - all used aluminium cans are sorted, bundled and crushed into cubes for easy transportation to a recycling centre. It is then shredded and melted down to remove all impurities (such as paint). The purified aluminium is formed into ingots, which are usually flattened into sheets from which new products are made.
FRIDGES - tougher new EU environmental legislation means fridges can no longer be sent to landfill sites or shredded without the removal of all ozone damaging CFC materials. These must be removed by destroying them at high temperatures before the fridges can be broken down into recyclable parts.
OTHER IDEAS - look for goods with minimal packaging; don't use disposable cups; tick the "no mailing list" option to minimise junk mail; donate unwanted items to charity.
SO, make the effort, it's worth it!
Click here to find your nearest recycling site.
