Believe it or not, only one in two adults recycle daily (IPSOS Public Affairs, 2011). Thus, now more than ever, learning to waste less and recycle is important for keeping our planet healthy and green. If you care about the environment, these are the top ten ways you can help preserve the beauty and diversity of planet earth!
1) Only use recycled paper and print on both sides.
Whether you’re at home or in the office, always print on both sides of your sheets and recycle paper when you do not need it. If you manage to recycle one ton of paper, you will have saved 17 trees and over 30,000 litres of water!
2) Reuse plastic bags.
Too often plastic bags get thrown away after a single trip to the shops. This has to stop. Your average 5p plastic bag can be used for future groceries or as a garbage bag. Remember this next time you leave for the supermarket.
3) Get crafty!
Say no to consumerism! Instead of throwing everything away, turn your waste into things you can use. Very often, tin cans make perfect pencil holders, and jam jars can easily turn into durable glasses.
4) Donate to charities.
Clothing, DVDs, old sheets, and almost all other household objects can be donated to charity to be sold in thrift shops. If you are an animal lover, donate to an animal shelter! Sheets and towels make for useful bedding and cleaning materials.
5) Compost your biodegradable waste.
Aim to compost all food waste into your brown bin. All your biodegradable food garbage, such as vegetables, egg shells, and banana peels, will turn to soil that is great for gardening. However, exclude meat from your DIY compost bin, this can often attract flies and rodents.
6) Reduce your consumption.
When you are at the supermarket, think through your shopping. For instance, buy a large bottle of water instead than a 6-pack of smaller bottles. Doing so will not only save you money, but it will also contribute to saving the environment.
7) Buy recycled!
The idea behind recycling is that the cyclical movement of materials through the system eliminates waste. Hence, try to contribute to the system by buying recycled products. Supporting recycling is about feeding this loop by both recycling and buying recycled items.
8) Save as much room as possible.
When getting rid of something, flatten, squash, and squeeze all your recyclables. By saving as much room as possible, you will be able to recycle more and make less trips to your local waste containers.
9) Invest in some recycling bins.
Make sure your home and office are fitted with enough recycling bins. Ideally, you should have one for each of the following: paper, plastic, metal, and food. At times, the convenience factor is all that is needed to make recycling a breeze.
10) Use rechargeable batteries.
Our planet loves rechargeable batteries! On average, it takes 1,000 regular batteries to equal the lifespan of one rechargeable battery. Also, when you need to discard your old batteries, make sure you recycle them.
What is your favorite way to recycle? Use our ten tips and find out yourself!
