J&B Recycling Knowledge

Reducing plastic waste is very important. However, we also need remember to that recycling plastic is still very useful. Here at J&B Recycling, we urge caution to manufacturers who are moving towards replacing widely recyclable plastics with new packaging materials that are not recyclable, or only recyclable in specialist schemes.

We can all do our bit to decrease the production of plastic by increasing the amount of plastic that we recycle. Recycling lengthens the plastic’s lifespan. In addition, when thinking about the importance of recycling and reducing plastic, there are many simple things that we can do on a daily basis that reduce the amount of plastic we use in our everyday lives:

Use a reusable water bottle

In the UK alone, we use 35 million plastic bottles every day. On average we buy 7.7 billion plastic bottles in the UK each year. This results in substantial amounts of single-use plastic waste. Carrying your own reusable water bottle, not only helps reduce your plastic waste, but it can also save you money!

Carry a reusable coffee cup

Similarly, we throw away 2.5 billion coffee cups every year and we recycle less than 1 in 400. Carrying a reusable coffee cup with you can also help in reducing your plastic waste. Some coffee shops will even offer a discount if you use your own cup!

Avoid excessive food packaging

A quarter of our domestic waste is packaging. The more packaging used for a product, the more it costs. Reducing the excess packaging enables both manufactures and consumers to cut costs. An easy way to cut out the excess packaging is to buy loose fruit and vegetables as opposed to pre-packaged, this will usually work out much cheaper too. It’s important to note here that it is also helpful to package your loose veggies into a recyclable or reusable bag!

Reuse your shopping bags

As a result of the plastic bag charge in England, we now use 85% less plastic bags. Although many carry an extra bag to use when shopping, some do forget. Try keeping a fabric tote or Bag For Life in your everyday bag to avoid forgetting! Doing so can make a huge impact on our everyday plastic consumption.

Forget the Cling Film

You can not recycle Cling film in your regular kerbside recycling bin. However, there are alternatives. Beeswax Wraps is a great example and is gaining in popularity. It is 100% cotton, jojoba oil and beeswax. All of these are natural, reusable and environmentally friendly. Alternatively, use Tupperware! They’re reusable and then eventually are also recyclable.

Related Content

When considering the impact of not recycling and reducing plastic is, it is crucial to understand the detrimental effects that not doing so can have on the environment. Read our article about the environmental impact of not recycling plastic.

J&B Recycling provide waste management solutions for business across the North of England. Our main Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) is based in Hartlepool and we have a second site in Middlesbrough, making us ideally placed for collections across Teesside (Hartlepool, Stockton, Middlesbrough and Darlington). We also have a site in Washington and we operate established collection routes throughout Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, Sunderland, North Tyneside and Northumberland. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if we can help with your waste collection.