Please note: Sources are given after/below the respective fact and are underlined.
FACT - Germany and the Netherlands manage to recycle up to 70% of their PET plastic bottles, and the USA over 20%. In the UK, we recycle 13,000 tonnes which is less than 3%. www.brookes.ac.uk
Recycling aluminium cans and foil saves 95 per cent of the energy required to produce new aluminium. WWF
20,000 tonnes of batteries go to landfill in the UK each year Wastebook
It can take up to 50 times more energy to produce a battery than it actually delivers. www.wasteonline.org.uk
Every year, an estimated 17 ½ billion plastic bags are given away by supermarkets. This is equivalent to over 290 bags for every person in the UK. We produce and use 20 times more plastic today than we did 50 years ago! www.wasteonline.org.uk
A little goes a very long way: - 4.5 litres of oil can cover a lake the size of a football pitch. - One litre of oil can contaminate one million litres of water. www.brookes.ac.uk
Wood - Facts and Figures The UK is one of the world's largest consumers of industrial timber and paper, and imports wood and its products from over a hundred countries worldwide (source: Waste Watch). To achieve sustainable levels the UK will have to reduce its consumption of primary wood products by approximately two-thirds of 1990 levels.
(source: Friends of the Earth)
Approximately 12% of softwood used in the UK goes into the manufacture of pallets and other packaging. There are thought to be around 2 billion pallets in circulation worldwide and as many as 90 million in the UK alone (source: Brighton & Hove Wood Recycling Project ). Many businesses have problems disposing of pallets and thousands of them go to land-fill each week. www.brookes.ac.uk
Mobile Phones - Background In 2001 it was estimated that there were 40 million phone users in the UK and that 4 million mobiles are bought each year. Mobiles contain several valuable materials and components, such as silver, which can be extracted and re-used. Some also contain substances that are highly toxic, such as cadmium. Until recently there has been no easy safe way to dispose of old mobiles and they have been sent to landfill sites. However, there are now many easy-to-use recycling schemes. Mobile phones come under the EU Waste and Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations. www.brookes.ac.uk
Product Labels - Introduction
Consumer choice is an important issue, and labelling is a means by which consumers can make an informed choice when purchasing products.
Many different logos, labelling and certification schemes have been devised by individual trading nations, the European Union, non-governmental organisations and industry groups, such as paper manufacturers.
As a means of identifying products, services or practices that meet some specific criteria, they are useful, but their abundance can be confusing and the criteria and assessment standards are not always clear. For example, this has been a particular problem of child labour projects, where there can be problems with assessment of production sites.
When deciding whether a label is truly meaningful, consider the organisation accrediting the system, and whether the system offers a means for you to find out about it. Large, well reputed organisations are more likely to be stringent in their labelling standards and operate a transparent system. www.brookes.ac.uk
Glass - Background Facts · There are now over 20,000 bottle bank sites in the UK, one for every 2,800 people. · The average glass bottle contains over 25% recycled glass. · Green glass bottles manufactured in this country contain at least 60%, and sometimes as much as 90%, recycled glass. · In 2002 900,000 tonnes of glass was collected for recycling in the UK, but over 3 million tonnes of waste glass generated each year.
Why Recycle Glass Glass recycling has several benefits: · Cuts waste disposal costs, which are likely to rise due to landfill tax. · Requires less energy to melt than virgin raw material, therefore saves energy. · Conserves the environment by saving hundreds of thousands of tonnes of primary raw materials each year. · Extends the life of our landfill sites, helping to conserve the countryside. · Increases public awareness of the problem of waste and benefits of recycling.
