10 Materials you can recycle.

Wherever you are in the world, every household produces waste. The amount of waste that we throw out is on the rise each year and a lot of the stuff can be recycled and reused. It's hard to grasp the amount we waste, when so much of it can be recycled.

There are 3 R's to recycling - Reduce, recycle, reuse. 

Waste Statistics for the UK 

• The average UK household produces 1 tonne of rubbish annually, adding up to about 30 million tonnes for the UK each year.
• In less than two hours, the UK produces enough waste to fill the Albert hall.
• The UK uses about 12 billion cans a year - enough to stretch to the moon and back!
• At least £10 billion worth of food is thrown away that is perfectly fine to eat.
• As much as 50% of waste in the average dustbin could be composted.

1. Composting 

This is the decomposition of materials that originally stemmed from animals and plants. Some examples of these organic materials are: teabags; paper(although they need other things in with it, and need to be shredded); plant trimmings; grass cuttings; rotten fruit and veg; egg shells. 

You can use it as garden fertiliser. As you add to your compost heap, it will slowly (but also quickly) break down into compost, going down in size. 

We have been adding things to ours for over a year-and-a-half now, and it just keeps going down in size - mind boggling.

If you put worms into your compost heap, the process will become a lot quicker - the more the better. 

You can build a compost bin for yourself or you can buy one.

2. Electrical equipment

Many electrical devices can be reused or broken down into parts. You could give them to a charity shop or contact the retailer of the product to see if they would take back the old product.

Some councils allow electrical equipment to be recycled along with other materials at their waste recycling centre. Try to buy electrical items that have a long life span and when you're going to get rid of them, think about giving them to someone you know - your rubbish could be someone else's use.

3. Glass 

In the UK, glass is separated into three different colours: green, clear and brown. You can deposit glass at your nearest bottle bank, sorting them into the corresponding containers depending on their colour. Many shops have bottle banks situated outside, so as you go for your weekly shop, you can recycle your glass as-well. 

4. Batteries 

For rechargeable and lead acid car batteries, some councils and retailers provide the facilities to recycle these. Some research on your behalf would be provided. 

Rechargeable batteries shouldn't be thrown away with normal household rubbish as they contain harmful metals. You can sometimes return them to the manufacturer, or you could contact them for recycling advise.   

5. Metal

Metal is placed into two separate groups, aluminium and steel. Most house recycling bins provided by the council, normally accept metal. 

If you're unsure about how to distinguish between the two metals, try using a magnet. Aluminium is non-magnetic while steel is magnetic. Drink cans are normally made from aluminium and food cans from steel. 

6. Furniture 

For any furniture you're going to 'chuck out', alternatively you could donate to schools or charity shops. You could also sell furniture at car-boot sales, auctions or garage sales. 

Make certain before you donate/sell furniture, that it meets the British safety standards.

7. Mobile-phone's 

Nearly everyone in UK has a mobile phone in this modern society, ranging from iphone's to HTC's. However, when we get rid of a phone, we usually just throw it away. Instead of doing this, try donating it/them to your friends or family. 

Some companies have set up mobile-phone recycling schemes, or you could phone up the manufacturers as many take back older models. 

8. Paint and Oil 

When disposing of these materials, care is needed. If done wrong, it could have a damaging effect on the environment. You can donate unwanted paints and varnishes so that others can reuse them. 

Try to look for recycling or disposing information on the packaging of the product, civic amenity sites often take engine oil for recycling. 

9. Textiles 

You can donate old clothes and textiles to charity shops or to people you know. Most house recycling bins provided by your local council, accept clothes and textiles. 

Clothes and textiles can be made into other items such as cushion covers and cleaning cloths. 

10. Wood 

You can take wood to a civic amenity site to be recycled. You can also add wood to your compost heap in the form of wood shavings and sawdust. 

If you or people you know have a log fire, you can burn it in that and save with your heating. 

Like textiles, you can often reuse wood for building things. For example: bird boxes and bird tables.