Things you didn’t know were recyclable.
Recycling has become an important part of a lot of people’s lives with it being essential in the fight against climate change. We are all familiar with the recycling of such things like bottles, cans and paper. However the list down below of the 10 things you didn’t know were recyclable will be guaranteed to surprise you.
1. Carpet
Did you know tonnes of carpet is wasted every year from people just chucking it into the landfill? When you’re redecorating and cant wait to get rid of your old, used carpet there are plenty of ways it can be recycled.
One way of recycling your old carpet can be getting in touch with the company you originally purchased it from to see if they have a recycle/reuse scheme themselves. Furthermore, you can also upcycle to line a pond, use it as pet bedding or contact your local authority to see if they can advise on the disposing of this.
2. CD’s & DVD’s
You may find yourself with a pile of used or unused CDs and DVDs now the music and movie industry is moving onto online platforms. Not only is recycling them is a great idea but also donating them to a local charity shop.
If you struggling to find ways of recycling your old CDs and DVDs you can ring your local recycling center which will advise you on your best option to go about this.
3. Electronics
Most electronic devices can be recycled including Computer monitors, TVs, and mobile phones. However, you may need to ring a professional who knows what is hazardous and not. Most recycling companies offer services dedicated to electronics recycling and advise on how to dispose of them safely and correctly.
4. Coat Hangers
Most coat hangers are plastic, metal, and sometimes wood making them perfectly recyclable. Just make sure the types of material get disposed of in the correct place, simply just break down the coat hanger safely if possible.
5. Old paint tins.
Have you recently redecorated or do you just have a pile of old paint tins in the back of the shed rusting away? An organization called Paintback has now made it possible to recycle old tins of paint in Australia.
In addition to this UK recycling centers also accept old paint tins without any excess liquid paint. For small amounts of paint, a good way of disposing of this is to pour the paint onto some old cardboard and once the paint is dry you can throw the cardboard with all your regular household recycling.
6. Clothing
A lot of recycling companies actually focus on clothing rather than other materials, there can then be reused in many creative ways or other purposes.
Another way of recycling your clothes can be to them to a charity shop, leave a collection bag on the doorstep, or take them to the textiles bank at the supermarket.
7. Empty cosmetic containers
We all know how quickly it takes to use up a whole face of products but one common forgotten mistake a lot makes us the disposable of the empty packaging. Plastic is a commonly used material for cosmetic packaging, therefore, making it 100% recyclable.
In addition to the above, a lot of makeup/ cosmetic retailers do offer their own recycling/re-use scheme.
8. Shoes
Next time you go to just toss your old shoes away remember that a shocking figure of 400 million children doesn’t have access to one of life’s most basic necessities, a pair of shoes. There are many ways to donate your old pair of shoes, one of the bests bets is donating them to a local charity or finding a company that provides this type of recycling service, where they can then go on to distribute to where needed to help fight poverty.
9. Face masks
438 Morrisons superstores now offer special collections bins where you can recycle your old facemask. There are also 150 Wilko stores participating in a similar scheme.
Once the bins have been collected there are taken away by a company called ReWorked which disposes of the masks. The mask is put into a 72-hour quarantine and then washed, shredded, and manufactured into new products.
10. Toothbrushes
It is recommended to replace your toothbrush every couple of months from the Public Health England meaning we can get through at least a few a year.
Colgate has recently introduced an Oral Care Reclying service, which can turn your own toothbrushes into plastic pellets to make new products. These can be dropped off and various drop-off locations across the UK.
