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Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to power a computer for 30 minutes.
That gives you more then enough time to read this!
In today's blog, we will be exploring (once again) the wonderful world of recycling. This time we are taking a deep dive into the 10 household items lying around your house that you didn't know you could recycle or reuse!
From Old CDS & DVDS (Are they still a thing?) to how to get rid of your old, scraggy toothbrushes, this blog has got it all the info you need on what items can be recycled.
So chuck your recyclable glass bottle in the bin, your 30 minutes starts now...
Now a lot of households may have upgraded to the fancy electric ones. However the plastic toothbrushes used daily are the ones we are discussing today.
Ideal for travelling & some old heads are adamant they still do the best job!
How To Recycle: These can be tough to recycle, due to the plastic within them. However, you can look at up-cycling them.
Tips: Promote your old toothbrushes to head of the cleaning department. After a long service cleaning your teeth, use it to clean those hard to reach places in your house.
Gone are the days of your parents bringing home rafts of blank CDs so that you can burn that new NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC 98. (LEGALLY OF COURSE).
And with Netflix, Amazon Prime & other streaming services out there, the aspiring CD & DVD collection that you once had, can find itself boxed in the corner of your wardrobe with no place to go.
So, when the time is right to throw away your Special Edition Harry Potter Boxset, you may not know the best way to get rid of this.
How To Recycle: Stock up your old Britney Spears albums & get to the tip. These can be recycled at your local tip. Or, even better, give us a call and we would be happy to take them away!
Tips: If you don't want to dispose of your treasured collection to the recycling bin, using sites such as www.musicmagpie.com can be a great way of getting some extra cash in your pocket.
We are all guilty of hoarding this next one.
No matter how many batteries you buy, do you actually ever throw them out? We speak from experience as if you went into my desk drawer, you will find 100s of old batteries that have no use being stuffed in there.
Batteries have to be up there as one of the most hoarded items in this list. With the fear of chucking them in the bin due to them being flammable outweighing any other way to get rid of them.
So, how do we get rid of batteries?
How To Recycle: As you know, these are flammable, so the household bin is a no-go & this will be harmful to the environment.
If you did want to get rid of these your best bet is to visit your local supermarket. Large chain supermarkets will usually have a battery drop off point recycling container located inside. Check with your local supermarket.
Tips: 1st tip. Don't lick the batteries. (Shout out my 10 year old self who used to love the taste).
2nd tip: If you don't want to throw your batteries away, why not try up-cycling them? You could use the batteries as a photo frame or coasters.
JUST DON'T PIERCE THEM!
Like a flick of the switch, your bulb has burnt out
How do you recycle this?
How To Recycle: You may not know it, but there are different types of lighting within light bulbs, which means that they are a variety of ways to recycle.
Fluorescent Lamps: Take this to your local tip!
Fluorescent Tubes: These may have to be taken to a more specialised local tip or recycling centre.
LED Lightbulbs: Local Big Chain Supermarkets are your go to. Get them ready for your next big shop.
Different types (e.g., CFL, LED) have specific recycling requirements.
Tips: A lot of the electronic, everyday items on this list, may need to be taken to a recycling centre, which can be quite difficult to locate if you don't have a place to start.
Not to worry!
You can find your nearest recycling centres for electrical items, by placing in your postcode here: https://www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk/electrical-recycling-near-me/
When your children are not using their crayons to give your walls a new coat of colour, or sticking them up their nose & pretending they are an elephant...they are usually discarding broken crayons all over your house, under your sofa, in the bathroom & other places you didn't think were feasible.
When you do stumble upon a pile of them, how do we get rid?
You could throw them in your household waste and recycling which is fine, but, due to the plastic on them, they can't be recycled. However, there are other ways to reuse these.
How To Recycle: This is going to be tough due to the plastics but they can be recycled into new products. This could be candles or new crayons.
Even better, if you don't get any use out of them anymore, consider donating them to your local Nursery or Primary School. This is a great way of ensuring continued use of the crayons & stopping them being sent to landfill.
Tips: Why not turn your old broken crayons into a candle? This is a great way to have fun with the kids: Here is how to do it:
With all the talk of children above getting us stressed, we may need to pop open a bottle ourselves!
When you are having a little tipple & the corks are popping, instead of finding them located all over your house in the morning & chucking them in your recycling bin at home...get them collected and ready to recycle.
How To Recycle: Recorked UK are a specialised website that will re-use and recycle your old corks when you post them to them. This is a great way to help the environment. You can find more info here: https://recorkeduk.org/pages/donate-your-corks
Tips: Corks are fantastic for DIY art projects. Here are some different options:
Notice Boards:
Plant Markers:
Cork Stamps:
When you have finished squeezing out that last bit of toothpaste out the tube, your instinct may be to chuck it straight into the bin... don't throw them away!
The plastic tubes aren't recyclable in your household waste due to the amount of plastic that these are made from. Instead look for websites
How To Recycle: Colgate have partnered up with Terracycle to provide a toothpaste recycling process.
Terracycle is a website that prides itself on recycling the unrecyclable. You can sign up on their website, collect used tubes, and send them in for recycling.
Terracycle Link: https://www.terracycle.com/en-GB/
Tips: If you don't want pack them up and ship them off, try up-cycling them. Toothpaste could be ideal for:
Travel Storage: Clean and cut toothpaste tubes can be repurposed into small containers for carrying lotion, sunscreen, or other liquids when traveling
Miniature Planters: Clean and cut the tube to create small planters for succulents or herbs.
Now we are all guilty of this, we could walk into any house in Manchester & guarantee that there is a pile of old, dirty, holey trainers, stinking out a cupboard somewhere.
We get it....you have your painting trainers, your bin run trainers, your school run trainers, your running tracks trainers...but...nobody wants to be staring at your big toe hanging out of them every morning....maybe it is time to get rid?
But how do we do it?
How To Recycle: Many big shoe brands offer a recycling service where you can send in your old shoes programs which will be refurbished into new shoes or give them a second life as playground surfaces.
Who would have thought your old, dusty Nike shoes could actually help children?
Tips: Instead of throwing them back to the shoe provider, why not donate them instead? Donating usable trainers can provide footwear to people who can't afford new shoes, improving their quality of life & helping to make a big difference.
Now we preach all the time about doing our bit for the environment & reusing where we can, but we have got something to admit....we have been very guilty of pouring cooking oil down the sink when nobody is looking!
We know, smite us down, oh mighty one, but sometimes this can feel like the easiest option. Well in the short run it is, but when those pipes are clogged full of oil, it isn't going to help you in the long run.
So, what is the best way to get rid of cooking oil?
How To Recycle: Reusing: Depending on the type of oil and how it was used, you may be able to strain and reuse it for another batch of food. Alternatively, let it cool and solidify, place it into a container & you can then throw it away in your household rubbish.
Tips: Can be converted into bio-fuel if you take to a local recycling centre. Use Oils with higher smoking points. Buy sealed containers to store oil.
We all have a phone graveyard haunting our houses. I personally, currently have at least 7, that don't work, show no sign of working, yet we keep them close to us, like we are going to get a whatsapp message at any moment!
If there are personal items on there that you don't want to forget that is obviously a personal belonging, so treasure it!
However, if you are keeping it due to it still having Flappy Bird on there, then we hate to break it to you, but it is time to make an effort to recycle & not by placing it in your recycling bin at home.
How To Recycle E-Waste: Many electronics manufacturers have take-back or trade-in programs. For example, Apple, Samsung, and Dell offer recycling services for their products.
Tips: If these old phones or laptops still work, why not make a bit of extra cash from it instead of trading it back in?
Websites such as https://www.envirofone.com/en-gb/sell will buy your phone & other tech off you for a price, meaning you are reducing your waste, recycling whilst also making a bit of money. Sounds like a win!
To find which electrical items can be recycled at your local recycling centre, place your postcode in here: https://www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk/electrical-recycling-near-me/
You have now seen the 10 surprising things you didn't know could be recycled (Spoiler: some of them actually can't be recycled) but what is the benefits of this?
What is the point of recycling or up-cycling? Well it isn't just the fact that you have less waste in your household that is a benefit, there are plenty of others:
Reduces Landfill Waste: Recycling these items prevents them from ending up in landfills. Landfill waste can take 100s of years to decompose, also releasing some horrible gas.
Prevents Pollution: Proper recycling ensures that hazardous materials,such as the ones found in batteries, doesn't leak into our soils or earth. I can use that as my excuse for licking battery acid when I was younger. 'I was just doing my bit for the environment'
Saves Energy: Manufacturing new products from recycled materials requires less energy than making new ones from new materials.
Supports Recycling Industry: Creates jobs and opportunities in recycling industries & waste & recycling plants.
So, next time you’re going to toss away that ancient Nokia, those burned-out lightbulbs, or your worn-out running shoes into the trash, think twice!
Whether you’re a hardcore recycler or just dipping your toes in, every little bit helps.
If you are struggling with waste & need some more tips on how to get rid of certain household items, feel free to contact us or drop us a message.
We are always here to help & if you have any other tips for us on how you deal with your general waste that you don't see on this list, let us know!
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