…a seemingly harmless (perhaps even positive) statement that, in reality, might do more harm than good. I’m not suggesting that it would be better if our waste ended up in landfill, but, I do think that waste issues should be tackled at their root rather than the recycling bin. Reducing our dependence on disposable products is a crucial step towards achieving sustainability, and so if you’re recycling too much, perhaps this is actually a bad thing, indicating an over-reliance on single-use items. Who better to address this than Recorra, a leader in commercial waste management? Our mission goes beyond efficient waste handling – we’re truly committed to fostering holistic environmental progress. Instead of focusing solely on recycling, we encourage our clients to rethink their waste generation habits, which not only promotes sustainability, but also helps businesses reduce their costs and make more informed choices.
"We need to recycle more"...
Globally, we produce 2.01 billion tonnes of solid waste each year, and while recycling is a key solution in waste management, only about 9% of plastic waste is recycled, with only 1% actually being put back into use. This means that the vast majority of plastics, particularly single-use plastics, end up either in landfills, incinerated, or polluting our ecosystems. A deeper focus on the waste hierarchy is needed, which states that preventing waste, reducing waste, and reusing items in the first place would help tackle this problem more effectively. As it stands, relying too heavily on recycling doesn’t fully address the systemic issue of overconsumption and excessive waste production.
Being able to recycle material so they can be reused is a central part of our journey towards a circular economy, where resources are utilised to their full capacity rather than being viewed as disposable. However, increasing efforts and success within recycling have an unspoken downside, in that people may feel more entitled to consume more if they can use recycling as a justification; this is known as the “rebound effect”.
We all feel a fleeting sense of relief after chucking a plastic bottle in the recycling bin; after all, now we can continue with our day in good faith, thinking it will most likely be repurposed for use by someone else. Yet, this perception often prevents us from feeling the necessary guilt that would otherwise prompt us to reflect on our consumption habits. Instead of questioning whether we needed to buy that plastic bottle in the first place, we placate ourselves with the fact that it can be recycled.
Don’t get me wrong, we should by no means stop our recycling efforts. Instead, I challenge you to be more mindful of the choices you make when purchasing disposable items. Reflect on whether a reusable alternative exists and remain conscious of the costs and energy used in recycling. Recycling should be seen as a last resort, because to truly reduce waste, we need to target the source: consumption itself. Worldwide, waste generated per person per day averages 0.74 kilograms, and a significant volume of this is from single-use items.
At Recorra, we offer tours of our Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) at Purfleet, offering businesses and their teams a firsthand look at where their waste goes and how intricate the process of recovering materials is, even when they are recycled properly. These visits offer invaluable insights into just how much effort, energy, and resources are required from our staff to sort waste for reprocessing. If your business is eager to take part in meaningful engagement events, whether through a beach clean-up or a MRF tour, contact our Sustainability Team at sustainabilityteam@recorra.co.uk.
Written by Tara Vellani
Graduate Sustainability Consultant
