Is recycling the answer?

Yes and no. Read on to find out why

History of recycling

Recycling isn’t a new concept - it has been around in some shape or another for thousands of years. Back in the Roman times for example, bronze coins were recycled into statues, or old bronze statues into other statues, coins and weapons. According to a study in the Journal of Archaeological Science, in the ancient city of Sagalassos - SW Turkey / part of the Byzantine Empire, there is archaeological evidence indicating that glass was being recycled as early as 330 AD. Due to a rise in popularity for reading books in the mid 18th Century, people would buy auctioned books, with the purpose to reuse the paper within them for new books by the early 19th Centrury, to try to keep up with the demand.

Later, with food rationing and shortage of every day products as a result of WWII, it wasn’t until 1939 when the popularity of recycling grew. However, it wasn’t until the 1960s that recycling in the UK became common place. This was due to drinks companies offering money back for the return of glass bottles. The first bottle bank was used in June 1977.

And now, here we are in the 21st Century. Navigating the world of recycling nowadays seems super complex - and that is in no part due to oil and plastic companies. With more and more articles coming out like this one from NPR - which is true - I thought it may help to give tips about plastic recycling and what you can do at home.

Please don't go into a blind panic and throw everything in the bin because after seeing this, in your mind, it doesn't matter. Please hear me out, and hopefully the below makes sense. Then if you still think you should throw it all away…ping me an email.

Heads up - I am focusing on plastic recycling below vs glass, paper etc.

Recycling is not the answer

Before I start, there is a difference between single use plastic and plastic. As a material, plastic is incredibly flexible, versatile and useful. Without it, we wouldn’t have many machines in hospitals, our phones, laptops, filters for fish tanks etc.

The issue is single use plastic (and single use as a whole). Why are we using a material that is incredibly durable for items that we buy and use for minutes? As a material, it is cheap, and has also garnered a reputation for being hygenic - it is better to buy something wrapped in plastic than open for fear of germs…but what about chemicals that seep into our skin, food and drink? What is the cost of this? That is for a later post!

Recycling was never the answer to get us out from this plastic and wasteful mountain we live on. We have to refuse, reduce and reuse. Like throwing items into the rubbish bin, recycling should be viewed as a last resort. We shouldn't be fooling ourselves otherwise and crying when we read an article like the above.

So why do I support recycling? Because some materials do have higher value than others, and those are the ones most commonly recycled within home countries (all countries), and by that material having a value, it goes back into the loop to be made into something else.

Before I continue, the mobius loop i.e the green triangle symbol we all associate with for the symbol of recycling contains a number inside it if you look on the packaging. This number is called a resin code and it relates to the type of plastic it is. It does not automatically mean the item is recyclable.

Confusing, right? Yep.

So what can we do?

Simple rule of thumb to remember: hard clear plastic, like many water bottles, is the ferrari of plastic and the one with the most value. If all packaging were clear plastic, we could recycle more.

Unfortunately though plastic degrades (hae you ever kept a water bottle and reused it?) as it gets used but it does get down cycled into items such as benches, or in bikes or bags or gutters.

The most commonly recycled items anywhere with a curbside pick up are:

All bottles (either PET(E) or HDPE / resin code number 1 or 2 ). This includes bottles in the bathroom such as shampoos*
Hard clear plastic trays (PET(E) / resin code number 1 )
Milk jugs (resin code number 1 or 2 )
Less common is PP / resin code number 5 such as medicine bottles. Usually in hard coloured plastic but tou have to check your local area for confirmation they accept this.
*In the UK, we are currently missing out on recycling about 50% of valid items, so make sure you check those bottles!

But this is plastic so it must be recyclable, right?

I hate to break it to you, but wrong, very wrong. Please don’t recycle on hope - I.E please don’t pop that plastic bag or scrunchy wrapper or yoghurt pot in recycling because David Attenborough has told me on TV that plastic is everywhere so I am doing my bit by recycling it, and I don't want to bin it because it says it is plastic so surely that is OK. And my friend in another council / country can recycle it so why can't I.

This causes issues in the recycling process where if incorrect items are included in the recycling bin, or the items are not rinsed and contain food, it will contaminate the load of recycling. Not just YOUR recycling, or even just your streets recycling...but the whole trucks recycling. If it has too many contaminates, it will be sent to be incinerated or go to landfill. And that costs the council, which in turn wastes money. For example, in 2014 - 15 the borough of Greenwich had 14.4% of recycling waste rejected due to contamination.

Ok, anything else?

If it does not specifically say you can recycle it, then you have to either find a scheme such as Terracycle for it, or it must go in the general waste bin.

Other resin codes (a resin code is the number in the triangle ‘recycling’ symbol aka the Mobius Loop - that symbol does NOT mean it is recyclable) are less recycled unless specifically mentioned as a drop off place. I.E DO NOT PUT THESE IN YOUR CURBSIDE RECYCLING unless you have specifically been informed an item is ok:

PVC / 3
LDPE / 4 (plastic film)*
PS / Polystyrene / 6
Other / 7

*Some curbside recycling may accept certain LDPE plastic but unless you are certain, throw it out. All stretchy plastic should either be taken to a supermarket if they accept it, or thrown into the bin (UK here, US here)

For more information about different symbols found on packaging, check out Recycle Now.

What you will find is that countries CAN recycle their own ‘top quality’ plastic in house as it were, but not yoghurt pots or crisp packets, or bags or chocolate wrappers...basically low quality plastics and so shipped them away.

This is not always the recycling facilities fault though. Packaging has changed and evolved to such an extreme and pace, where design was the focus vs its life cycle. It costs money to upgrade and build machinery that can sift and sort it all, and then melt it down. Every different resin code melts at a different level and is mixed

Yes, plastic degrades - virgin plastic can be added to recycled plastic OR the plastic gets used for another purpose such as picnic tables, gutters and eventually black plastic items.

what can we do?

Look at companies such as Plastic Bank who have a great scheme to find and reuse plastic. They have built a business from monetising plastic in countries such as Indonesia and Haiti, and selling it back to big corporations to be reused in their product packaging. It is called Social Plastic.

Also look at Terracycle who have created recycling schemes to recycle the non recyclable. Tom Szaky, Terracycle CEO, built the company up when he started looking at waste as a commodity vs rubbish. He got buy in with big companies to support it and so the birth of the Terracycle return schemes. Seeing that recycling wasn't the final answer he launched Loop, where he got big corps onto the reusable bandwagon and is making reusable convenient. For example, they are working with McDonalds on a reusable cup scheme.

Collection programmes set up by Terracycle include:

is recycling the answer?

The answer is no. We shouldn't buy it in the first place. The average person in the UK throws out 400kg of waste per year – that is about the weight of 4 giant panda bears.

I love Terracycle and what they do, but the fact is, they shouldn't have to fix this problem for us.

I shouldn't be writing this blog post.

The problem is convenience. It is SO easy to be outside, feel a bit peckish and so pop to the local shop to pick up something
The problem is companies not taking responsibility for using materials that hurt the planet and working to linear vs circular
The problem is governments not enforcing taxes on plastic
The problem is a lack of responsibility for waste from businesses AND from consumers
The problem is not enough money going into recycling facilities
The problem is design of product not considering end of life
The problem is quick fixes

But is it as simple as eradicating plastic? Surely all plastic should just swap to glass or paper.

Unfortunately not. You have to look into the whole cycle. Plastic creates less emissions in transporting it vs glass due to its weight. I will go into that more in a different post.

Geez...this sounds like a no win!

Not at all and simple steps make it easier.

There is always hope!

We have to be more responsible for where and how we spend our money and what we buy, and what it is packaged in. We cannot just complain about companies wrapping it this way but we need to take a stand. If you can't afford the eco friendly option (which can sometimes be cheaper in the long run but more expensive upfront), then why not write a letter to the shop and demand more options at better prices? Other options are:

Buy less - refuse, reduce, reuse.
Learn about exactly what should be accepted in your recycling and where you can recycle items such as textiles, batteries. Have a couple of small boxes you can collect these items and then drop them off in one go.
Avoid putting items in recycling bin and general waste bin unless you know for sure they belong there.
Sign petitions that ask for items to be wrapping or plastic free.
Support charities that are pushing companies and governments for this, such as Surfers Against Sewage.
Support the deposit return scheme.
Write to companies and call them out.
Bring your reusables (over 100 scientist have proven this is safe even during Covid - check out the City to Sea campaign).
Buy wrapper free and wash at home (invest in a natural vegetable scrub).
Use bulk buy shops, challenge your shops use of plastic, support local, buy in bulk and prep / make at home as much as possible.
Book a visit to a local sorting centre to see behind the scenes - I found this not only fun but incredibly informative. I was lucky enough to visit First Mile before I moved out of London and am looking forward to visiting many more.

On top of the companies mentioned above, please check out the following for more tips:

Hopefully that helps with some info you can use at home. Please do share with others to help raise awareness.

The other scary truth I'm waiting to hit the mainstream is the chemicals included in all the plastic which seeps into our food and drink. Tasty stuff…And just wait til I get on my high horse about "compostable"!

Cheers and I hope this helps!

Cathy xx

I am not affiliated with any companies mentioned above.

Recycling Week 14th - 20th Oct