Top 10 Most Important Items To Recycle: 1. Aluminum

Top 10 Most Important Items to Recycle
By: Judy M August 11, 2018

1. ALUMINUM
Aluminum cans are 100 percent recyclable, and they can be recycled over and over
again. Even better, turning recycled cans into new cans takes 95 percent less
energy than making brand-new ones. So how about starting with all those soda and
juice cans?
2. PET PLASTIC BOTTLES

Americans will buy about 25 billion single-serving bottles of water this year, according to
the Container Recycling Institute. Worse yet, nearly 80 percent of those bottles will end
up in a landfill. Let’s put a stop to that. Making plastic out of recycled resources uses
about two-thirds less energy than making new plastic. And because PET plastic bottles,
more than any other type of plastic, are the most commonly used type, they are usually
the easiest to recycle.
3. NEWSPAPER
This is a pretty obvious one, right? It seems like a no-brainer to set up a recycling bin
next to your garbage can for newspaper and any other scrap paper. But why should we
recycle paper? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, paper makes up
about one-third of the municipal waste stream in the U.S. That’s a whole lot of paper,
and since we know that recycling all that paper conserves resources, saves energy, and
doesn’t clog up the landfills, there’s no reason not to do it.
4. CORRUGATED CARDBOARD
Old corrugated cardboard (OCC) represents a significant percentage of the commercial
solid waste stream. In 1996, the U.S. generated 29 million tons of OCC, or 13.8 percent
of our municipal waste stream. Approximately 90 percent of that comes from the
commercial or non-residential sector, the places where we work. So next time UPS
delivers a big box to your office, be sure to break it down and recycle it — after you’ve
emptied it, of course.
5. STEEL CANS
Just like aluminum, steel products can be recycled over again without compromising the
quality of the steel. We’re talking about steel cans, but maybe you have some steel auto
parts or appliances ready for recycling too? More than 80 million tons of steel are
recycled each year in North America, and recycling steel saves the equivalent energy to
power 18 million households a year. You can learn more about steel recycling by
visiting the Steel Recycling Institute website.
6. HDPE PLASTIC BOTTLES

HDPE stands for high-density polyethylene, a common and more dense plastic, which is
used in detergents, bleach, shampoo and milk jugs. HDPE plastics can be identified by
the logo on the bottom of the container – three arrows in the shape of a triangle. Check
the number inside that logo: numbers 1 and 2 are recyclable almost everywhere, but 3
through 7 are only recyclable in limited areas. And don’t forget to rinse and clean all of
your HDPE containers in the sink. Any remaining dirt or food particles can contaminate
the recycling process.
7. GLASS CONTAINERS
Recycled glass saves 50 percent energy versus virgin glass, and recycling just one
glass container saves enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours. Recycled
glass generates 20 percent less air pollution and 50 percent less water pollution, and
one ton of glass made from 50 percent recycled materials saves 250 pounds of mining
waste. Wow!
8./9. MAGAZINES AND MIXED PAPER

There are so many reasons to recycle all kinds of paper that it makes no sense not to.
First, recycled paper saves 60 percent of energy versus virgin paper, and also
generates 95 percent less air pollution. Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees and
7,000 gallons of water. Sadly, though, every year Americans throw away enough paper
to make a 12-foot wall from New York to California. Let’s work on changing that!
10. COMPUTERS
Computers can be recycled in a couple of ways, depending on the state of the machine.
Giving old, working computers to friends and family members or donating them to
nonprofit organizations not only keeps the computer entirely out of the waste stream,
but it presents computer access to someone who might not otherwise be able to afford
it. Non-working computers can be sent to recycling centers where they are dismantled
and valuable components are recovered.
Types of Recycling
Waste Paper & Cardboard Recycling
Industry and commerce dispose of approximately 8.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard in the
UK each year! Every tonne of recycled cardboard saves 17 trees, 2 cubic yards of landfill capacity
and 4100 Kw/hours of electricity!
Plastic Recycling
There are about 50 different groups of plastics, with hundreds of different varieties. Most types of
plastic are recyclable. Because most plastics are non-degradable, they take a long time to break
down, possibly up to hundreds of years - although no-one knows for certain as plastics haven't
existed for long enough.
Metal Recycling
All grades of metal can be recycled for future use. Before it is recycled, metals are sorted into ferous
and non-ferrous types. Ferrous metal includes Iron and Steel, non-ferrous includes aluminium,
copper, stainless-steel, brass and lead to name but a few.
Wood Recycling
ISM can recycle all types of uncontaminated timber. Grades include such items as timber pallets,
timber boxes, floorboards, chipboard, fencing, plywood, furniture etc.
Glass Recycling
ISM can recycle various types of glass which must be suitable for reprocessing. The general
principle for glass recycling is, like the other categories, that the glass should be as clean and
contaminent free as possible. Grades include such items as bottles, jars, windows, drinking glasses
etc.
Textiles Recycling
It is estimated that more than 1 million tonnes of textiles are thrown away every year. At least 50% of
the textiles we throw away are recyclable. ISM can recycle all textiles which must be suitable for
reprocessing including redundant fabrics, clothing etc.
Bricks/Inert Waste Recycling

Hardcore rubble can be recycled into usable aggregates. These waste streams come to us on skip
wagons from industrial and demolition sites, it is tipped and then crushed to produce various grades
of aggregates to be reused on construction sites.
Germany recycles more than any other country
Germany has the best recycling rate in the world. Austria comes in second,
followed by South Korea and Wales. All four countries manage to recycle
between 52% and 56% of their municipal waste. Switzerland, in fifth place,
recycles almost half of its municipal waste.
According to Eunomia, the environmental consultancy that compiled the

report, these countries all have in common government policies that
encourage recycling, such as making it easy for households to recycle waste;
good funding for recycling; and financial incentives. They also set clear
performance targets and policy objectives for local governments.
Some countries, such as Wales, have ambitious recycling targets. Wales aims
to achieve zero waste by 2050, and the EU is looking at adopting a new target
for 2030, thought to be at least 65%.
The report singles out Wales, which it says outperforms many larger
European countries because of its “political leadership and investment”. It
says that Wales is a “global leader” in recycling and could outdo Germany, as
early as 2018.
The real recycling leaders
Recycling just over half of household waste may seem quite a low rate, but
Eunomia says that reported recycling rates have been overstated.
For instance it has been reported that Sweden recycles almost all of its waste.
But Eunomia says that’s only because the country counts energy recovery
from waste incineration as a form of recycling, which it says is out of step with
how the term “recycling” is generally used.
Singapore says that it recycles over 60% of its waste, but Eunomia calculated
that much of this was actually commercial and industrial waste,
and downgraded its total to 34%.
And as the chart below shows, countries’ reported recycling rates are much
higher than in the first league table which Eunomia adapted to take into
account the various ways in which recycling is measured.
Even Wales, which does well overall, includes significant amounts of rubble in
its recycling rate, despite it not being consistently counted as a type of
municipal waste across Europe. Wales had a reported rate of 64%, which
Eunomia downgraded to 52%.
Commenting on the findings, report author and managing consultant at

Eunomia Rob Gillies said: “It’s important to note this research has been
carried out so we can identify who the real leaders in recycling are, to share
best practice by shining a spotlight on what these countries are doing."
The report says that it is trying to compare municipal waste recycling rates on
as equal a footing as possible, and calls for common definitions for municipal
waste and recycling among countries.
“We also hope that this will help progress the debate on how best to measure
‘real’ recycling, in line with the principles of the waste hierarchy, in a way that
is as consistent as possible within Europe and further afield,” Gillies said.
What happens to recycled waste?
A huge amount of recycling ends up being shipped to Asia. But China, the
world’s largest importer and recycler of scrap metals, plastic and paper, has
decided it will no longer take what it calls “foreign garbage”, and is set to ban
imports of 24 types of waste.
And this may force industrialized countries to recycle more of their own waste.
Currently Europe recycles 30% of its plastics, compared to just 9% in the

United States, but the majority of plastic waste still winds up in landfills and in
the oceans.

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Top 10 Most Important Items to Recycle

By: Judy M August 11, 2018

2. PET PLASTIC BOTTLES

6. HDPE PLASTIC BOTTLES

8./9. MAGAZINES AND MIXED PAPER

Bricks/Inert Waste Recycling

According to Eunomia, the environmental consultancy that compiled the

The real recycling leaders

Commenting on the findings, report author and managing consultant at

What happens to recycled waste?

Currently Europe recycles 30% of its plastics, compared to just 9% in the

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