Research documentation : Recycle

Aluminium

• 24 million tonnes of aluminium is produced annually, 51,000 tonnes of which ends up as packaging

• If all cans  were recycled, we would need 14 million fewer dustbins.
• 36,000,000 worth of aluminium is thrown away each year.
• Aluminium cans can be recycled and ready to use in just 6 weeks.

Glass

• Each family uses an average of 500 glass bottles and jars annually.
• The largest glass furnace produces over 1 million glass bottles and jars per day.
• Glass is 100% recyclable and can be used again and again.
• Glass that is thrown away and ends up in landfills will never decompose.

Paper

• Recycled paper produces 73% less air pollution than if it was made from raw materials.
• 12.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard are used annually
• The average person gets through 38kg of newspapers per year.
• It takes 24 trees to make 1 ton of newspaper.

Plastic

• 275,000 tonnes of plastic are used each year, that’s about 15 million bottles per day.
• Most families throw away about 40kg of plastic per year, which could otherwise be recycled.
• The use of plastic  is growing about 4% each year.
• Plastic can take up to 500 years to decompose

What does "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" Mean?

• Sometimes referred to as the “New Three R’s”, the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle” is a simple formula that encourages people, businesses, and municipalities to utilize goods that are already manufactured rather than continue to use only limited raw materials to produce replacement goods. While simplistic in nature, this formula is one that can easily be implemented in the home as well as in the wider community.