We Are Responsible

Resources used to make things on Earth are limited. We have relied on these for decades and now resources are becoming depleted and are running out.

From the cans we drink from, to the plastic we eat from, to the electronic devices we press buttons for all were originally made from materials found in the earth. - And being the clever humans we are, we turned it into very useful things.

So why should we recycle then?

We throw away around one ton of rubbish per household each year and we are running out of space to put it. Most of the rubbish/garbage is sent to landfill sites or put in incinerators and burnt which pollutes the atmosphere.

Saving energy is a good reason why we should recycle. The energy saved by recycling an aluminium drink can is enough to power a television for about 3 hours.

Making a new can, or a new plastic bottle, or a new glass jar, etc from raw materials uses more energy than it would if an old one was recycled.

Here is a summary of why we should recycle:

• To save energy
• To preserve the planets' natural resources
• Landfill sites are slowly becoming full
• Can be cheaper than using raw materials
• To reduce pollution

With over 6 Billion people on the planet we need to think more about the resources we all share as the population increases.

Natural Resources

Our natural resources are harvested to provide the raw materials like metal, wood, oil for the manufacturing of paper, cans and plastic.

The chopping down of trees, the mining of metal and the refining and burning of oil to make plastic all use a lot of energy and put excessive carbon dioxide, and other greenhouse gases, into our atmosphere.

What should we do?

More than 60% of the things we throw away are recyclable which is why we should all be throwing our cans, bottles, tins, paper and glass into separate carrier bags or boxes ready to recycle.

How can we recycle?

Most parts of world have some way to recycle in your local area. Your local council or authority may have a scheme to pick up boxes from outside your house. Another way is to take your bags of stuff to the supermarket.

Where can we recycle?

Most big supermarkets in the UK have recycle bins in the car parking area. Another place to take your stuff is local refuse sites or garbage dumps. These tend to have the greatest selection of types of materials they will accept like TVs, computers, batteries, printer cartridges, oil, paint and many more that you wouldn't expect.

Used materials can be reprocessed to make new products

Start today, put that can in a separate bag, wash that glass jar and put in another bag. Your letters and newspapers can go in another bag and next time you go to the supermarket be sure to take them with you to pop them in the special bins. Otherwise just put them outside on the correct day and they will be picked up.

It really isn't that difficult to save the planet!

There are tons of ways to recycle and leave the world the way you found it.