You may have already noticed that our blogs frequently cover recycling, but every now and then it’s useful to go back to the basics, revisit and appreciate why we should all be recycling. Recycling’s significance has been greatly emphasised over the past decade as more businesses make efforts to operate more sustainably. In our most recent blog, we’ll take you back to explain what it means for businesses to recycle and the advantages of using a commercial waste management company such as 360 Waste Management.
Reasons for Recycling
The benefits of recycling cannot be overstated. Recycling has a plethora of advantages, all of which will undoubtedly benefit our beautiful planet. Everywhere we look, whether it’s bins, posters or even people talking about it, there is something do to with recycling and we’re all for it! But what exactly does recycling do, and why are so many more individuals now demonstrating great commitments to recycling?
Reducing Landfill
For those who are unsure, Landfill is the process of disposing waste by burying it in enormous excavations cut out of the ground. Landfills may be a quick solution to waste disposal, but it’s side effects on our environment and planet are damaging. Not only are Landfill sites ugly to look at, they are also a huge source of pollution. Landfill produces many greenhouse gases, toxins and leachate where the rubbish decays and produces acidic chemicals, mixing with liquids.
By recycling, certain items receive an extended life cycle, meaning they can be reused time and time and time again, therefore less waste it sent to Landfill and less natural resources are required to produce new products.
Protecting the Planet
A significant amount of raw materials and natural resources are needed in the process of making new products, and they are obtained through techniques such as mining, logging, oil drilling, and more. Given the current demand for new goods across all industries and the reality that the earth’s natural resources are finite, it is a worrying prospect if more is not done to address the levels of raw material extraction.
However, recycling has significantly increased in recent years as a result of the growing focus on issues like pollution and climate change. Reusing old materials to make new ones is a great way to reduce the quantity of natural resources that are taken from the planet. As a business, it’s super important to be recycling and separating your rubbish. It’s also great for your company’s reputation if it is known that you are doing your bit for the planet.
Reduce Damage to the Environment
Somewhat similar to the previous point, Recycling is a fantastic technique to decrease the damaging impact that the extraction of raw materials has on the environment. Not only is the use of raw materials reducing the limited amount there already is, using techniques such as logging and mining may have disastrous consequences on the local wildlife, resulting in the death of animals or the destruction of their natural habitats, which is another reason why recycling is such an effective process as apposed to using new materials.
Energy Usage
When new resources are extracted for use in manufacturing, it harms the planet by taking it away, and the transportation and processing of these materials adds to the enormous quantities of energy being used, fuelling pollution. Recycling drastically reduces this as the products have already been created, making the production of new products much simpler and cleaner. Instead of just discarding all waste, attempt to increase the amount of staff who either reuse or recycle waste
Recycling by Material
So, we’ve established that recycling produces positive effects on the planet and drastically lowers the amount of energy used when compared to products being made using raw materials, but what exactly can be recycled?
Glass
Glass is a rare case. It can be recycled without a doubt, but it’s one of the few materials that can be recycled an infinite number of times without degrading. At 360 Waste Management, we provide commercial glass waste collection services for businesses including but not limited to, bars, pubs, restaurants etc. that produce a lot of glass waste. Not only does removing and recycling glass waste help the environment, but it will also save your business money. Glass is heavy, and including glass within your general waste will increase the weight of your containers, resulting in the cost of collections increasing.
Plastic, Paper & Cardboard
Dry Mixed Recycling (DMR) is a general term for plastic, paper, and cardboard. As long as it is not covered with foil, plastic, or wax-like materials, most types of paper and cardboard may be recycled. Today, recyclable plastic is used in an increasing number of products. Water bottles, milk bottles, plastic jars, etc. may all be recycled, and since a lot of plastic is single-use, it’s crucial that we recycle what plastic we can instead of contributing more to the growing levels of plastic in our environment. One of the most common types of recyclable waste is dry mixed recycling (DMR), and 360 Waste Management offers a dry mixed recycling collection service for companies in the UK, offering free waste containers suitable for your business’ needs.
We provide commercial waste management in London, Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire and other areas covering a wide range of waste streams and sectors. So if your business requires commercial waste management services and you want join thousands of other businesses in saving up to 30% off of waste collections, then be sure to contact the 360 Waste Management team on 08000 931186 and give your recycling journey a well deserved boost!
