My youngest son is always worrying about the amount of plastic we use and wants to do his bit to help the environment.  He has started to use soap instead of body wash as he wants one less plastic bottle ending up in landfill.  I didn’t think I minded using plastic if I knew it would be recycled.  I think the UK has a responsibility to make sure ALL companies only use plastic bottles that are 100% recyclable.  But my thoughts on recycling are a bit more muddled now.

Recycle As Much As Possible

More households are recycling now which feels like a great thing!  It’s scary to think that before the Household Waste Recycling Act in 2003 hardly any waste was recycled.  I always feel like I am doing my bit making sure all the plastic, cardboard, paper and tin goes into my recycle bins.  But I was shocked to read that 50% of what we do recycle goes into landfill or sent to another country!  That doesn’t sit well with me.  Why is this happening?

Demand Plastic Bottles That Are REALLY Recyclable

I would be much happier buying plastic bottles in the UK if I knew they wouldn’t end up in landfill or shipped off to another country!  measom freer products are made from recyclable thermoplastic and they are easier to recycle afterwards because they list what material is in each of their plastic caps, plastic bottles and plastic containers.

As consumers we should use our buying power to demand companies make better choices when it comes to their packaging.  Like stopping putting pigment in plastics which make them harder to recycle.  Companies should also consider using water soluble glues so that’s one less barrier to recycling.

Take A Reusable Container

I love it when you can bring a container from home and fill it in a shop!  We are seeing more and more of this and it’s a fantastic idea!  You can be eco-friendlier when you bring your own KeepCup for your takeout coffee, it’s a simple change but imagine if everyone did it!  I love using Bee Green Wraps instead of plastic sandwich bags.  If whatever you have you re-use lots of times, then it is making a difference!

I think I owe it to my kids to be more aware of the consequences of our purchase decisions.  It’s great that there are registered charities like RECOUP (RECycling Of Used Plastics Limited) who want to share practical developments in plastic packaging recovery & recycling with companies.  If more companies signed up it would really help the environment.