Recycling Facts Aussies Need to Know!

1. Recycling Facts Australia Needs To Know! Mr Waster loves facts and he loves recycling – so of course he would like a list of interesting facts about recycling. Everyone knows that recycling is very important to reduce landfill and waste impacting on the natural environment. Here we've compiled some recycling facts Australia needs to know about! Why Recycle? Reduce Pollution Lower Energy Usage Collecting, refining and processing raw materials contributes to air and water pollution. Recycling minimises these processes, reducing pollution. Recycling reduces the amount of energy expenditure that is required for the extraction, refinement, transportation and processing of raw materials into products. Reduce Landfill Protect Animals And Their Habitats Waste that would normally be sent to the tip is reused, resulting in less space required for landfill and less need for more waste disposal facilities. Recycling reduces the amount of raw materials being extracted from the environment. The extraction of these resources often result in the destruction of natural habitats. Recycling also reduces the amount of waste that leaks in to our waterways. Recycling Saves By recycling your household waste you will help save our precious natural resources. Each year kerbside recycling can help save: 11,000 Mega-litres of water That’s more than enough to fill more that 4,500 Olympic sized swimming pools! 386,000 tonnes of green house gases That’s the same as taking more than 64,000 cars off the road for a whole year! Paper Recycling Facts With the shift towards digital media and paperless offices, it may surprise you to find out that paper is still one of the world’s most commonly used consumer items. 87% 230kg When it comes to paper and cardboard recycling rates, Australia is one of the world leaders at 87%. However, Australian’s still consume around 230kg per person per year in un-recycled paper. Recycling just one tonne of paper saves: 13 Trees 2.5Barrels of oil 4,100 kWhof electricity 4m 3of landfill 3 3 3 3 1m 1m 1m 1m 31,780 litres of water Plastic Recycling Facts Plastic is one of the most widely used materials across a multitude of industries. However, it’s production takes a heavy toll on our environment. 90% 88% More than 90% of plastics produced are created from virgin fossil feedstocks. Recycled plastic uses around 88% of the energy required to make new plastics. CO2 Producing new plastic requires oil and coal, and is a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions which play a big part in climate change. 8 milliontonnes of plastics find their way into our water ways. An estimated1 millionsea creatures are killed by marine waste every year. 25 minutes Recycling1 plastic bottle saves enough energy to power a computer for 25 minutes. What to Recycle The following items can generally be recycled in your home recycle bin, but check your local council website. For business recycling it's best to get in touch with a waste management company to discuss your needs. Metal • Aerosol cans (including deodorant) • Aluminium foil baking trays • Baby formula tins • Cooking oil tins • Food and drink cans • Pet food cans Paper and Cardboard • Butcher / Deli paper • Cartons (milk, juice.etc) • Cereal boxes • Envelopes • Long life cartons • Junk mail, newspapers and magazines • Paper plates • Phone books • Pizza boxes • Toilet rolls • Wrapping paper • Washing powder boxes Plastic • Cake and biscuit trays • Cleaning product bottles • Deodorant (roll on) • Drink bottles (juice, milk) • Punnets (berry) • Shampoo, conditioner and soap bottles (including pumps) • Sports drink bottles (reusable) • Take away food containers • Yoghurt containers Glass • Bottles • Jars What not to Recycle The following items should never be disposed of in your home recycle bin. • Plastic bags • Plastic wrap • Shredded paper (this can go in your garden organics bin) • Clothes • Toys • Nappies • White goods • Heat-resistant glass, such as Pyrex • Crystal • Organic waste (this can go in your garden organics bin or compost) • Pens • Furniture • Car parts • Sharps (needles and/or syringes) • Foam rubber Infographic provided by www.waster.com.au Sources: http://ausfpa.com.au/about/pulp-paper/ http://www.australianscience.com.au/environmental-science/paper-consumption-impact-in-australia/ http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/-/media/resources/documents/publications-and-research/knowledge-archive/resource-smart-government-program/archive-rs-fact-fle-2007.pdf https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/documents/Ocean_Factsheet_Pollution.pdf https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/EllenMacArthurFoundation_TheNewPlasticsEconomy_Pages.pdf http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/You-and-Your-Home/Waste-and-recycling/Recycling/Recycling-bins/Plastic http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/You-and-Your-Home/Waste-and-recycling/Recycling/Why-recycle