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Recycling and beyond householders information sheet

 

reduce	buy recycled
reuse	case study
recycle	glossary of terms

So recycling is good - it stops our rubbish going to landfill, saves energy thereby reducing greenhouse gasses, saves resources and doesn't cost us anything. But still we look for an answer to how we can reduce our environmental impact - what can we do as householders to help ourselves make our country and our world more sustainable.

Waste or rubbish is what people throw away because they no longer need it or want it. This explains why it is only in recent years that waste has emerged as a problem. Prior to the industrial revolution we did not use products as we do today and consequently used less 'stuff' and produced less waste. Worldwide studies have shown that waste creation is closely linked with GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Almost everything we do creates waste and as a society we are currently producing more waste than ever before.

source: OECD (2004)

Changes in the way we buy, produce, use and dispose of products could make massive reductions in the major environmental impacts.UK waste arisings from households was almost 30 million tonnes during 2002. . It has been estimated that for every tonne of household waste, another 5 tonnes is created at the manufacturing stage and 20 tonnes at the site of initial extraction. Total UK waste arisings are estimated to be 434 million tonnes. The breakdown is shown below.

 

Estimated UK annual waste arisings by sector (compiled by DEFRA 1998 - 2002)

 

source: DEFRA http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/statistics/waste/kf/wrkf02.htm

This ever increasing demand for raw materials is depleting the world's natural resources and supplies of non-renewable energy. The vast majority of Britain's waste is disposed of in landfill sites.

In the UK, Europe and Worldwide the issue of waste is central to improving our environment. Different terminology is used in order to try and classify the information and make it more comprehensible. Frequently though this has led to the opposite - as concerned citizens we may feel that government approaches have left us behind and that while we care about the issues we no longer know how best we can address them.

This information sheet aims to remove the vagaries, explain the terms and help empower you to make a change.

Reduce

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Waste reduction is the first tier in the waste hierarchy. It is defined as the prevention of waste at source or as eliminating waste before it is created, and the term is now often inter-changed with 'waste minimisation' , 'waste avoidance' or 'waste prevention'.

Waste reduction, at the household level, starts at the point of consumption by choosing products and services with the least environmental impact. A householder can prevent waste by using their purchasing power to buy a product which requires fewer resources in its manufacture or working life than a substitute product - or by not purchasing it at all.

A good way of looking at waste reduction is as an overall waste management strategy which seeks to reduce the amount of waste generated at each stage of a product's life cycle.

As technology has improved, a reduction in the quantity of raw materials used in the manufacture of products has been observed, often with increased product performance. An obvious example of this is the down-gauging or light-weighting of packaging materials for food and drinks cans or the substitution of one type of packaging material for another, for instance plastic bottles replacing glass. See packaging information sheet

Durability

Product durability and life span are now receiving increasing attention. Of particular interest are capital items such as computers and similar hardware, and domestic appliances such as microwaves and fridges. Research indicates that the average life of consumer durable goods has reduced. A strategy to increase product life needs to be two-fold: firstly designing products for a longer life and secondly extending that life-span through repair and reconditioning, which may include upgrading. (see reuse). The benefits to the environment would come through the reduction in resource use - less items will be produced, reduced pollution and less waste. There could also be economic benefits with the repair and servicing being carried out by UK businesses.

Some manufacturers have started to design products for longer life. IBM is now making the outer casings of its PCs so that they can be reused with upgraded components. Kyocera's Ecosys laser printer is coated with silicon rather than plastic and lasts for 300,000 pages, or about 5 years, compared with 5,000 - 20,000 pages for the conventional printer.

When choosing products the longevity of the product can be factored into choice. A sofa that lasts 10 years may be preferable to the designer model that will disintegrate or go out of fashion quickly.

Reuse

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Many of us reuse household items already, without being aware of it.

Buying clothing from a charity shop, or fixing your washing machine are common practices, but many of the things we use could also be reused, and have their life extended instead of being thrown away. Giving a sofa a fresh lease of life by refurbishing it can be a good alternative to buying a brand new one.

Items such as PCs can be passed to a second user when they are replaced by the first user. Charities, schools and other groups can all benefit from donations of computers or low cost machines supplied by refurbishers. See the computers recycling sheet for further information

8 million nappies are thrown away in the UK each day (WEN) creating a massive amount of waste. Try using real nappies which can be re-used and cost much less than buying disposables. There are a wide variety of cloth nappies available and Nappy laundry services are available as a convenient alternative to washing at home.

Remanufacture

This is described by Plymouth University Enterprise and others as:

"The process of retuning a used product to at least Original Equipment Manufacturer performance specification and giving the resultant product a warranty that is at least equal to that of a newly manufactured equivalent."

An example of a remanufactured item is retread tyres. Manufacturing a retread tyre for an average car takes 4.5 gallons less oil than the equivalent new tyre and for commercial vehicle tyres the saving is estimated to be about 15 gallons per tyre. Car tyres can only be retreaded once but truck tyres can be retreaded up to three times.

Recycle

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After reducing and reusing waste, we can then think about recycling. Almost half of the contents of our dustbins could potentially be recycled. In addition, we could compost an additional 30% of vegetable peelings and other organic waste that we throw away. Despite this potential to recycle or compost around 68% of our waste, we are only recycling or composting 15%.

Recycling is the processing of waste manufactured products to provide the raw material to make new ones.

Recycling reduces the demand for raw materials, lessening the impact of extraction and transportation created at the point where the raw material is extracted. Activities such as mining, quarrying and logging can be environmentally destructive, destroying the natural environment and precious local wildlife habitats. Although some materials for recycling need to be transported around the UK, the impact of this may be less than that of transporting raw materials from often remote locations in other parts of the world.

Recycling uses less energy than producing goods from virgin material and also results in fewer emissions. Burning fossil fuels for energy produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming, so using less energy is vital. For examples view our materials information sheets on glass, plastics, paper and more.

In addition recycling reduces the need for waste to go to landfill or incineration. See our topics page - "What happens to it " for further information.

Green procurement - buy recycled

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Recycling has not actually taken place until we buy or use products made from recycled materials. For recycling to be economically viable and recycling schemes to be successful, there must be markets into which collectors of waste can sell their materials. Buying recycled creates a demand for the collected material, aiding the development of the material's reprocessing infrastructure and therefore increasing opportunities for recycling. As well as helping the environment, buying recycled also helps to generate investment in new industries and creates new jobs. The process of buying recycled is called "closing the loop" as a product cannot be described as recycled until it has been incorporated into a new product, thus coming full circle. This process ensures that the supply of waste materials balances demand, and stimulates the market in recycled products.

There is a lot of confusion over the definitions of recycled products and there is currently no standardised label or symbol used to denote recycled content. The mobius loop is the most widely used symbol, but can mean both recycled content and that the product is recyclable.

      

When a product is described as "recycled", this means that it contains some material which has been recovered or reprocessed. This does not necessarily mean that it is made from 100% recycled material, but could contain any proportion of recycled and virgin material.

Recycled content could include both post-consumer waste and post-industrial waste. Post-consumer waste is collected through commercial and household recycling schemes, while post-industrial waste (or pre-consumer waste) is produced during the manufacturing process, for instance paper off-cuts from printing processes or mill-broke. Examples of labelling good practice would indicate the percentage of post-consumer or post-industrial waste contained in the product alongside the Mobius loop symbol.

For details on labelling see our packaging information sheet.

Consumer pressure

Buying recycled is an individual action that can make a real difference. It not only saves raw materials, reducing transportation costs and the cost of imports to the UK economy, but is crucial in supporting and helping to develop recycling. Retailers respond to consumer pressure, so if there is a demand for recycled products, then the demand for waste materials will be boosted. Most high street stores and supermarkets sell recycled products in some form, or try a local health food or eco-friendly shop. Many charity catalogues also have a range of products with recycled content.

Some points to remember when choosing products:

• A recycling symbol on a product may not mean that it is made from recycled materials. It may only indicate that the material used is recyclable.
• Always check the percentage of post-consumer waste contained in the item.
• Paper which claims to be from sustainably managed sources is not recycled, but comes from tree plantations which replace the biodiversity of old growth forests and their ecosystems.
• Consumer power does work - put pressure on your local shops and supermarkets and ask them if they sell recycled products such as recycled Christmas cards, and if not, why not?
• Compare the labelling of a product with Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) code of practice for "green" claims, which lays out what should and should not be stated regarding a product's environmental credentials. Telephone 08459 55600 for a copy of DEFRA's booklet.

Case study - a bottle of water - how can we introduce the principles of the waste hierarchy.

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Bottled Water is a fast growing segment of the food and beverage industry with an annual 10% growth rate. UK bottled water sales surged by 18 per cent to 2,070 million litres in 2003, worth almost £1.2 billion in retail sales, continuing the double-digit growth trend of recent years. In 2003, over 1,600 million litres of bottled water were sold in retail size packs, Zenith's report said, while some 2,300 million cups were filled from water coolers.

Most commentaries on bottled water deal with the quality and taste comparisons of the water. Much has been written on the benefits and disadvantages of bottled water, but here we are looking at the market from a different perspective. What is the real environmental price of that bottle and how do you as a consumer influence the products on the shelf.

From cradle to grave

Much has to happen in order for the water that emerged from a spring, (or tap) to arrive in that bottle you are considering purchasing.

In following the life-cycle of this bottle we will try and clarify the processes involved.

Many different types of water are sold in UK shops. Mostly we will choose the product based on the source and type of water. The water itself may be from local sources but some water is imported and will arrive from distant locations.

The one bottle of water you choose to buy today in the shop will not directly alter this situation. That water will not go towards the people most in need but there is evidence that the actions of the drinks industry do not promote access even in places where there is an initial lack of water.

Once an attractive source of water has been identified the water still has to be bottled.

Bottling: The bottling process is resource intensive. In addition to the packaging material used, labour and equipment will have been installed to insure that the water reaches the packaging, and ultimately the consumer.

A packaging plant will tend to be placed close to the source of the water. Equipment will be maintained and managed and energy used to service the plant. Water will need to be used simply to run the plant and ensure that standards of production are maintained. The soft drinks industry has been estimated to use around 25 billion litres of water in the production of around 10 billion litres of products.

The water may be supplied in any one of a number of materials - plastic (PET), cans and glass. Likewise all these containers may come in different sizes. In addition labelling may be used to describe the contents of the package and the packaging used.

The type of material used impacts on the user in different ways. Different materials have different environmental impacts. Glass may be used repeatedly but the transportation costs will be higher than those for a less reusable plastic bottle. Tins may be extracted easily from the waste stream for recycling but be an unpopular choice for the consumer.

Most bottled water is sold in PET plastic bottles, Chosen because they are light and transparent.

As a consumer you have the option of choosing a company that produces locally, and that comes in packaging that you can then recycle.

Following buying and then drinking your water - you are left with the bottle.

This you can possibly reuse or recycle. Hopefully you will have a kerbside scheme to allow you to recycle from home. If not - contact your local council to see if such a scheme is planned and let them know of your interest. If travelling to a recycling bank, then combine this journey with another that will take you to the same place - using transport to deliver recyclate may cause as much environmental harm as the recycling prevents.

Know that each purchase, each product, each act that you do will influence and help make the future for us and generations after us.

Glossary of terms

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Eco-labelling

How can you tell if a product is environmentally preferable? Increasingly, manufacturers are relying on seals or logos called ecolabels to indicate that a product has met a specified set of environmental or social standards. Although ecolabeling schemes vary widely, they typically reward a product for its environmental soundness during one or more stages of its life cycle including production, packaging, use, or disposal. Examples of common ecolabels include: organic and fair trade for foods, zero-VOC for paints and varnishes, sweatshop-free for clothing, biodegradable and phosphate-free for cleaners, and low-emissions for cars.

(Source: Worldwatch institute). For further details see our packaging information sheet)

Extended Producer Responsibility

For most manufacturers, responsibility for a product ends when a person buys it and brings it home. A warranty might cover the cost of repairs and replacement, but even warranties end sometime. By the time the product is worn out and thrown away, the manufacturer has no connection to it whatsoever. This lack of responsibility is one reason manufacturers don't typically design products to be easily repaired, recycled, refurbished, upgraded, and reused.

Increasingly, however, many governments are adopting "extended producer responsibility" (EPR) laws that require companies to take back and assume responsibility for disposal of products they sell, from TVs to toaster ovens. The goal of EPR is to induce manufacturers to assess the full life cycle impacts of their products. Ideally, they will then eliminate unnecessary parts, forgo unneeded packaging, and design products that can easily be disassembled, recycled, remanufactured, or reused. EPR laws also typically ban the landfilling and incineration of products, establish minimum reuse and recycling requirements, specify whether producers are to be individually or collectively responsible for returned products, and stipulate whether producers may charge a fee when they take back products.

(Source: Worldwatch institute).

Fair Trade

Given the economics of global trade, the individuals who actually make the products we buy-from farmers in Colombia who grow coffee to seamstresses in Malaysia who sew t-shirts-often receive only a tiny share of the final price paid for that product. Consider a cup of coffee. Of the $3 that an American might pay for a grand latte at a local coffee shop, the farmer who grows that coffee may receive pennies for the beans that went into the coffee.

Enter the fair trade movement. Fair trade arrangements guarantee that the price producers ultimately receive for their commodities is a certain percentage higher than the price on the world market. This "fair" price not only covers their production costs and assures a decent living, but also carries a range of other social and environmental standards, from the right to organize in unions to certain basic safety requirements.

(Source: Worldwatch institute).

Green Procurement

When an organization "greens" its procurement, it shifts its purchasing dollars away from goods and services that cause environmental and social harm, and toward products that are more environmentally sound and socially just. These include products that conserve energy and resources, generate less waste and pollution, and are less toxic to human and environmental health.

Green procurement can play an important role in building markets for environmentally preferable goods and services. If consumers increasingly seek out products and services that are more beneficial to the environment, producers will have a greater incentive to design and produce them. As markets for these items grow, propelled by the forces of competition and innovation, the resulting economies of scale will eventually drive down prices, making greener purchases more affordable for everyone.

(Source: Worldwatch institute).

Life-cycle:

Each day, we use hundreds of products, from paper and clothing to cell phones and compact discs. What are these products made of, and where do their parts come from? What happens to them when we're finished with them? By looking at a product's life cycle-from the extraction and processing of raw materials, to manufacturing and distribution, to the product's final use by consumers, recyclers, and disposers-we can better understand the connections between Earth's resources, energy use, waste, and wider environmental challenges like climate change. We can learn how to reduce the environmental impacts and natural resource use associated with everyday products, and learn to make better environmental choices. (Source: Worldwatch institute)

(Source: Worldwatch institute)

Sustainable production and consumption

This involves considering the life-cycle of any product first during its production and then at consumption to enable a better quality of life for all while not endangering the needs of future generations. By considering future generation there is an implicit understanding that resources are not finite and that pollution effects need to be accounted for in order not to damage the ecosystem in which we live.

Waste hierarchy

The best way of managing our waste is not to produce it in the first place. Then we can consider how to where possible reuse the waste and the options available for disposal.

The UK government has developed this theme to produce a "waste hierarchy" - a system that shows us the order of preference for dealing with our waste.

1. Reduce
2. Reuse
3. Recover (recycle, compost, energy recovery)
4. Dispose

Zero Waste

Today, factories churn out most products in what you might call a "cradle-to-grave" fashion. Raw materials are extracted and processed, and the substances not directly useful to a factory become unwanted waste, polluting the air, rivers, and landscape. An alternative "cradle-to-cradle" system seeks to build integrated, closed-loop systems, in which the byproducts of one factory become the feedstock of another, instead of becoming environmental time bombs. Just as in the natural world, where one organism's "waste" cycles through an ecosystem to provide nourishment for other living things, the goal-and the result-is zero waste.

(Source: Worldwatch institute).

Created: September-04

 

http://www.wasteonline.org.uk

http://www.wastewatch.org.uk

Due to changes in funding, we are no longer able to offer a telephone or email public information service. Should you have further questions on waste and recycling, please contact one of these groups: Householders and students should call the Recycle Now helpline on 0845 331 31 31 for further waste based information, and where to find your local recycling facilities. Small to medium businesses should visit the Envirowise website, or call 0800 585 794, for further information on waste issues. Larger businesses should visit www.businesslink.gov.uk. For industry based questions, please use the WRAP technical helpline on 0808 100 2040 for advice on markets and recycling company development, or visit www.letsrecycle.com for listings of recyclers and reprocessors. If you find a mistake on this page, have a technical question regarding the wasteonline website, or would be interested in advertising your company logo on this information sheet please email info@wastewatch.org.uk. Thank you.