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Recycling has become a big issue in recent years. Our landfills are shockingly overfilled. Our streets and countrysides have become overwhelmed with bulky household rubbish; Rat infestation is on the increase. Fly-tipping is to blame due to an increase in households not understanding the penalties of removing their bulky household waste. To top it off, a figure released by the British Science Association In the UK revealed that just under 50% of households recycle.
Now, if you may think this figure is reasonable, then think again. Yes, people are rolling up their sleeves to save the planet, but when quizzed about the nature of what could be recycled, many didn’t have a clue!
Research from the British Science week suggested that more and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of recycling and the impact that this has on our fragile planet, but due to the misconceptions of what can be recycled, many are doing more harm than good!
The above household figure could be increased according to the British Association, only if we better understood the rules and procedures of disposing of our general household waste effectively.
To help you become better acquainted Speedy Clearances have put together a helpful guide on how to avoid the top common recycling mistakes, often made by households.
Disposing Your General Household Waste:
1. Don’t recycle the top of your soap pump dispensers.These cannot be recycled. Instead, remove the pump from the soap dispenser, wash it and throw into your general rubbish bin. The rest of the bottle can be recycled. Rinse the bottle and place in your recycling bin.
2. Don’t try to recycle your used kitchen roll. Many of us believe that it is okay to recycle this because it’s made from paper. Nonetheless, this is a common misconception. Again, place this in your normal waste bin. This also applies to the likes of tissue and cardboard, such as greasy takeaway boxes.
3. Don’t try to recycle your plastic bags, this is a no, no! You may be thinking that plastic material can be reused, and yes, you’re correct in thinking that, but plastic bags have to be recycled into a special recycling bin and not your household recycling bin. It causes great problems for the recycling centers because everything has to be sorted by hand, so please avoid this. To learn more about where you can recycle your old plastic bags, please click here
4. Don’t recycle glass that isn't a bottle or jar this is because not all glass melts at the same temperature. Avoid Glass materials such as light bulbs, Pyrex, mirror, and window glass. Please do your homework if you're unsure!
5. Don’t recycle disposable coffee cups, like the ones you get from your local Costa. Again there is a misconception. You may believe that a disposable coffee cup can be recycled, but because they are contaminated with used coffee, and because they’re made from certain problematic materials, they cant!
6. Don’t recycle Glossy Paper such as photo-paper as it may be coated with plastic or another residue that is not suitable for recycling.
7. Don’t recycle metallic packaging, like crisp packets. Crisps packets are often mistaken for foil, but this is untrue. In fact, it's just a form of metallised plastic that cannot be recycled at all.
Now we can move onto what you CAN recycle that many thought that you couldn’t:
1. There is a misconception that you cannot recycle kitchen foil, but this is false. You can! You can even recycle kitchen foil after using it.
2. You can recycle empty deodorant cans including the plastic lid that accompanies it.
3. Empty surface cleaner bottles including the trigger spray can be recycled, as long as you clean the bottle thoroughly, its safe.
4. Metal Lids can be recycled
5. Empty Bleach bottles can also be recycled, again wash the bottles and place them in your recycling bin.
Now Let's Turn Your Attention To All Your Bulky Household Waste:
Now that we have established some of the common household mistakes of recycling, earlier on I mentioned that your bulky household waste, such as unwanted furniture and white goods, such as fridges, cookers etc., has become a massive problem on our streets and greenery. Not to mention, the infestation of venom due to the rapid growth of fly-tipping. More and more people simply don’t have a clue when it comes to disposing of their bulky household waste correctly, and they simply don’t know what to do with it when they are faced with getting rid of it either.
1. Don’t place your unwanted bulky house waste outside your property. Even if you put a sign on your unwanted junk saying “FREE”, this is “Fly-Tipping” you will be breaking the law. You could be penalised with a heavy fine for doing this. There is a common misconception that this is okay to do since you are giving your items away to someone that may need them, but it is wrong.If you would like to give your furniture away, please ask friends and family first. Or get in touch with your local charity.
2. Don’t use an unlicensed waste carrier to dispose and recycle your unwanted junk. If they dump your rubbish illegally, you too are responsible for this. Please use a reputable rubbish removal company, like speedy clearances, who will recycle and dispose of all your bulky items correctly and safely.
3. Don’t burn your rubbish. Burning your garden and household waste is illegal. Not only is it a nuisance to your neighbours but it could pollute the air with very harmful chemicals. There also may be toxic chemicals in your waste items. For example, paper waste may contain synthetic materials, preservatives and even plastics. Instead, please get in touch with your local house clearance service or rubbish removal company who can help you recycle your items safely. If you do not decide to use a domestic clearance company, then please recycle as much as you can in your home or your local landfill.
Speedy clearances can help you with all your bulky household waste material: They offer an Eco rubbish removal service in London and parts of Essex. They recycle most of the items they collect from you. They are fully licenced to carry your waste, see here
Here is an infographic of the types of household rubbish that Speedy Clearances could clear, dispose and recycle from your domestic property.
Let's start to respect our environment. Call Speedy Clearances today for your Eco Rubbish Removal
Thank you for reading. Until next time!