Recycling is one of the best ways that we can all work together and protect the planet.
Businesses across the world are now stepping up in an attempt to make monumental changes.
That being said, companies cannot do their bit without you doing yours. Here’s why recycling is so important to the future of our planet.
Why is Recycling So Important?
So why is recycling so important? Let's take a look below.
Conserving Resources
When you recycle, any used materials will be converted into new products.
If used materials cannot be recycled, then the new product will have to be made via the extraction of fresh, raw materials from the earth – often through mining and forestry, two of the most environmentally damaging forms of activity.
Take for example mobile phones, which are one of the biggest modern uses of rare earth metals such as gold and platinum.
These are frequently thrown away and sent to landfill, but can actually are easily recyclable and these metals can be extracted for future use, whether that's for new mobile phones or something completely different.
So when you next dispose of your mobile phone, remember to recycle rather than chucking into landfills.
Saving Energy
Using recycled material throughout the manufacturing process consumes way less energy when compared to using raw materials.
It takes a lot of energy to extract, refine, and then transport them to the point where it is usable.
On top of this, energy is required to process them as well. When you recycle, you help to supply industry-ready material, curbing the effects of this.
Protecting the Environment
Recycling reduces the general need for extracting resources. This includes logging, quarrying, mining, and even processing.
Activities like this contribute a substantial amount of air and water pollution.
Reusing goods saves energy and it is also ideal at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Choices You Can Make to Help the Environment
The choices you make on a day-to-day basis can have a huge impact on the environment so here are some things you can be doing to reduce your environmental impact.Avoid Single-use Plastics
One thing you can do is try and avoid single-use plastics as much as possible.Examples of this include choosing cloth shopping bags or bags for life over plastic ones, or you can buy a reusable water bottle.
Recycling any plastic that you use is also imperative if you want to do your bit for the environment – but remember, not all plastics are recyclable!
Where possible try and use no plastic at all, but if you have to, try and use ones that you can either reuse and or that can be used again and again.
Wear Natural Fabric
Wearing natural fabric is also a way for you to aid the environment.
Natural fabric does not undergo a lengthy, intensive process to make it usable, meaning less resources are consumed during production.
Purchase Organic Products where Possible
Even if you do buy natural products, it’s still important to ensure that they are organic.
Pesticides and various other toxic chemicals are often added to crops to keep pests away, and this can leech into the environment, causing damage and contamination soil and waterways.
Keep an eye out for products that have the GOTS certification, like our organic bath mat collection and ribbed towels.
A product with the label grade grade 'organic' contains a minimum of 95% certified organic fibres.
Organic fibres are natural fibres that are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and GMOs (Genetic Modified Organisms) according to the principles of organic agriculture.
Organic agriculture is defined as a production process that sustains the health of ecosystems, soils and people, which is why we are proud that our products are able to carry this certification.
What Can Institutions And Lawmakers Do?
Recycling is imperative, and the daily changes you make will have a far bigger impact than you may realise.
Now, it’s time to move on to what lawmakers can do, and what switches have been made around the world already.
Take a look below to see which countries currently have the highest recycling levels, and how they managed to successfully achieve this.
Germany
Germany has had one of the highest rates of recycling in the world for quite some time.
They recycle up to 56.1% of their waste, with the country introducing a packaging audit in the year 1990. This helped to counteract the problem of landfills, which was becoming a major issue in the country.
They made producers entirely responsible for the packing waste that they created, while introducing the Green Dot movement.
This is a dual-recycling system that can be used to collect waste from businesses and households.
Across this system, a deposit (called a pfand) of up to 0.25€ is charged for bottles, containers and cans – meaning that consumers can return their containers to a recycling point for a refund on the initial container deposit.
As a result of these initiatives, Germany went from recycling a measly 3% of items in 1991, to 56.1% today.
Austria
Austria has also implemented successful policies, and the country now recycles 53.8% of their waste.
They were able to do this by adopting a blanket ban on waste that could go to a landfill. Any item that has a carbon emission rate of 5% or more, is banned.
Austria also have a responsibility model for business and companies.
The country implemented comics and teaching materials to educate children, and in 2020, they banned the sale of certain types of plastic bags which can cause potential harm to the environment.
South Korea
South Korea are up next, with the country recycling up to 53.7% of items.
They have a system where companies that are privately run can collect waste, and then sell it for a profit to try and increase levels of recycling.
And in 2018, they completely banned the import of plastic waste.
Our Products
We are very proud to say that our products do not contain any plastics.
Our organic towels and bath mats are plastic-free and support our pledge to the environment.
You can feel confident that by buying our organic bath mat, organic cotton towels or ultra soft bamboo towels, you are doing your bit for the planet.
If you want to find out more, please get in touch with us today. We’d be more than happy to help.
