RecyclingSupermarket.com

Why recycling aluminium cans is so important

admin — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 13:11:29 +0000

The UK uses over 900,000 tonnes of aluminium, with around 73% of this having been recycled. Due to the high unit value, large items such as those used for transport and building applications, achieve as much as a 95% rate of return for recycling.

However, the aluminium used for packaging is much more difficult to collect, as it is very light and is often discarded in every home, school, office, pub and restaurant. This should not be the case, as auluminium is one of the easiest materials to recycle. (more…)

M&S trial food packaging made from recycled plastics

admin — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:25:43 +0000

Marks and Spencer’s has this month become the first retailer in the UK to trial the use of recycled plastic in food and drink packaging on a large scale and to gauge customer reaction to the concept.

The project is being run in conjunction with an Australian owned recycling company called Closed Loop Recycling. London Remade are also part of this great project, which is partly funded from WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme). The 6-month trial involves around 1,500 tonnes of recycled PET (rPET) plastics being incorporated into salad bowls, beverage bottles, recipe pots and trays, with the recycled content ranging between 30% to 50%.

The trial packaging was launched in Marks & Spencer’s stores across the UK earlier this month and carries on-pack declarations and messages such as “packaging made from 50% recycled material, 100% recyclable”, as well as the closed loop recycling logo. Throughout the duration of the trial customer reaction will be assessed through a series of in-store survey activities. (more…)

Get a bike by recycling

admin — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:25:25 +0000

Each One Counts, the online recycling campaign for empty printer cartridges and unused mobiles, has launched re:Cycling, a new incentive scheme for active recyclers. The scheme is being run in partnership with Halfords, the UK’s largest cycle retailer.

re:Cycling offers recyclers a weekly prize draw worth £100. Winners get a Halfords Voucher that can be exchanged for a bicycle or related goods at any of their 400 stores around the UK. Anyone registered at the www.eachonecounts.co.uk website who sends a recyclable item for a partner charity is automatically entered into the draw. The online ‘checker’ on this site easily identifies items that are classified as recyclable in this scheme.

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European Union agrees new recycling targets

admin — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:41:09 +0000

European Union lawmakers approved new targets today for the recycling and re-using of waste, and measures to reduce the amount of waste that is incinerated or dumped in landfill sites.

The European Parliament voted for the target of re-using or recycling 50% of the main types of EU household waste by 2020, and 70% of all building and demolition waste.

Europe generates a staggering 1.8 billion tonnes of waste each and every year. This amounts to around 3.5 tonnes of waste per person, with less than a third of this waste being recycled. About one seventh of Europe’s rubbish is municipal waste, with the rest coming from shops, restaurants, industry and agriculture. In some member states up to 90% of its waste is sent to landfill sites. (more…)

Council scraps “unworkable” microchip bin project

admin — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:23:22 +0000

A council which was one of the first in the UK to introduce microchipped wheelie bins ahead of a possible “pay as you throw” scheme has abandoned the project after saying it was unworkable. The idea behind the government-funded project was to encourage households to increase recycling and cut the amount of waste going to landfil sites.

South Norfolk Council was one of the first in the UK to fit the bins with such microchips, but has abandoned the £250,000 scheme after the council beleived the technology used to weigh the bins was unreliable.

Councillor David Bills said: “The data that was coming out was not foolproof and you must appreciate that if one is charging or reimbursing people based on data, that data has got to be correct 100% each day of the year.

“If it’s not, people are going to start querying it and it’s going to lead to all sorts of problems.” (more…)

Have you Cottoned on Yet?

admin — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:21:39 +0000

So, you’re thinking about nappies? Not everyone’s favourite aspect of parenting, but they’re a pretty much an essential part of having a baby. This guide provides information about the benefits of real nappies, as well as the realities of using washable nappies at home, so you’ll be able to make an informed decision about what is right for you, your baby, your lifestyle and our environment.Real nappies have come a long way from meaning complicated folding, pins, scratchy plastic pants, boiling, soaking and hours of extra work. Like almost everything else in modern life, things have changed in the washable nappy world over the last 30 years. Cloth nappies:

Save up to £1200 per bum by washing real nappies at home
Soft, natural fibres against delicate skin
Potty training up to 6 months earlier
No nasty chemical content & no animal testing
Use less energy & water, even including the washing
Save over a tonne of waste going to landfill sites
No more struggling with bulky packs from the shops!

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New facilities to boost cardboard recycling

admin — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:43:11 +0000

With councils throughout the country offering different recycling services, many people have been left confused as to what types of food and drink packaging can and cannot be recycled. Many cartons for milk, drinks, soups and other liquids contain plastic and aluminium linings which make them more difficult to recycle. Most councils therefore do not collect these items with other kinds of paper and cardboard items.

Derby City Council has taken steps to boost cardboard recycling in the area by providing facilities throughout the region where people can take such items to be recycled. Carton banks have been located at Asda in Sinfin, Tesco in Mickleover and the Sainsbury’s at Kingsway Retail Park and The Wyvern. A bank has also been located at the Raynesway Recycling Centre.

Councillor Mike Carr said: “We have been recycling cardboard in Derby for some time, but I think the fact that lined cardboard cartons were not recyclable was frustrating and sometimes confused people.

“Now they can take these drinks cartons to the carton banks at five recycling sites and I would like to encourage people, when they visit these sites, to remember to take along their cardboard cartons from now on.”

Recycle your old spectacles

admin — Tue, 27 May 2008 19:49:13 +0000

Do you have old spectacles lying about which you no longer use? Why not put them to good use by donating them to people who desperately need them. Not only does this prevent them ending up in landfill sites, it also enables people in developing countries to learn, work and achieve a quality of life that would otherwise be completely unobtainable due to poor vision.

Vision Aid Overseas is a charity dedicated to helping such people whose lives are blighted by poor eyesight, particularly where spectacles can help. The charity was established in 1985 and has since provided over 600,000 eye tests and distributed over 300,000 pairs of spectacles.

Old spectacles are collected on behalf of Vision Aid Overseas at Vision Express stores and other opticians throughout the UK. For further information visit the Vision Aid Overseas website.

Gifts made from recycled bicycle parts

admin — Sun, 18 May 2008 16:48:02 +0000

Ever wondered what to do with that old bicycle left to rust in your garage? Take a look at Resource Revival, a US company which collects discarded bicycle parts throughout the United States and transforms them into a number of items, including clocks, picture frames, tea lights and bottle openers. (more…)

Recycle Now launches Christmas Recycling Campaign

admin — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:08:21 +0000

Actress Joanna Lumley has today launched a nationwide recycling campaign to highlight the massive amount of extra waste generated during the festive season, and to encourage households to take action to recycle this waste.

The campaign is being run by Recycle Now, and will encourage householders to recycle their old Christmas trees, compost their vegetable peelings and drop off recyclables at supermarkets and recycling centres. Fridey Cordingley, head of Recycle Now, said:

“The amount of extra rubbish produced over Christmas is staggering but there are lots of different ways to help cut this down. (more…)