Photographer : Timothy |
What is the issue?Recycling is basically about re-using waste products. It often involves collecting and sorting out re-usable waste products, so they can be transformed into new products.
We live in a world where heaps of non-renewable resources are used and abused—from the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) to create electricity, petrol and heating, to the little polystyrene cup that your local cafe serves your coffee in…
Most people throw away the cup because there are no polystyrene recycling bins.
What a waste!
BUT there are loads of other resources that can be renewed and therefore recycled! Paper, plastic, aluminium, clothing, furniture, fruit and vegetable scraps, even water!
By recycling all resources possible and reducing or avoiding your use of non-renewable resources you will help to reduce air, land and water pollution!
Who does it affect?Everyone in the world can recycle because we all use ‘things’ that can be transformed into something else. For example, most people in Australia use water to wash and clean, write on paper, drink milk packaged in cartons and plastic bottles, and produce food scraps and packaging waste. So:
- although fresh water is generally considered a non-renewable resource, the water you wash yourself, your clothes and your dirty dishes with can be re-used. This water can be stored, treated, and then reused as ‘grey water’ to water your garden.
- paper that you write on or that is used to make books and magazines can be recycled. It can be put in a paper-recycling bin and taken to a paper-recycling factory where it is made into blank sheets of paper that are ready to be re-used.
- milk cartons and plastic bottles can be recycled either by re-using them yourself or by putting them into recycling bins. They can then be broken down and re-made into clean milk bottles and cartons or other plastic and paper-based products.
- Food scraps such as vegetable and fruit peels can be recycled as compost for gardens.
- Paper, metal and plastic are used as packaging for a range of food products. Tin cans, cardboard boxes and plastic tubs can be recycled at specialised recycling factories that make new products out of used.
Where is it happening?Recycling is happening all over Australia!
- Recycling facilities are available at your home, school, community centre, shopping centre, local sports oval, park and workplace. Local councils issue kerbside recycling bins and collect and empty them regularly to take plastic, paper, cardboard, glass, metal, and garden and vegetable waste to recycling factories. This method of recycling is commonly known as ‘kerbside recycling’.
- Many communities in Australia also have drop-off recycling centres where you can deposit recyclable items that cannot be put in kerbside recycling bins. These include batteries, white goods, cars and car parts, clothing, furniture and plastic shopping bags. Probably the most common type of drop-off recycling centre is your local charity store or op-shop where you can take unwanted clothing and furniture so that it can be given to those who need it, or re-sold at a low price to members in the community. For information on kerbside and drop-off recycling facilities available in your local area and what can and cannot be recycled see Planet Arc’s Australia wide recycling guide: http://www.RecyclingNearYou.com.au/
- Water recycling is becoming increasingly common with the use of ‘grey water’ recycling systems. ‘Grey water’ is wastewater from non-toilet water sources such as showers, bathtubs, hand basins and washing machines. Households and workplaces can have ‘grey water’ recycling systems installed. These collect wastewater to be used for watering gardens or for irrigation on farms and large properties. There are a few types of grey water recycling systems available but basically they either pump out wastewater from your kitchen sink directly onto your garden, or collect and treat wastewater which can then be pumped out onto your garden. Local councils have different regulations for grey water usage and recycling due to health and safety issues. So, be sure to contact your local council for specific information about grey water recycling in your area.
- If your local community is lacking in recycling services there are still plenty of things you can do. For example: you could re-use plastic drink bottles and packaging to store food and household items, make new clothing out of pre-loved clothing or re-use bath water to water the garden—use a bucket to collect the old water from the bath and carry it outside to the garden.
For more ways to recycle household items yourself see Planet Ark:
http://www.recyclingnearyou.com.au/dynamic/reuse.php How do I know this?ACT Government,
No waste by 2010,
http://www.nowaste.act.gov.au Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ‘Recycling, compost and waste’,
Planet slayer,
http://www.abc.net.au/science/planetslayer/greenho...Eco Recycle Victoria,
http://www.ecorecycle.vic.gov.au/www/html/568-recy... Better Health Channel,
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.auGreenhouse.gov.au,
http://www.greenhouse.gov.au NSW Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW),
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/index.htmGreenpeace Australia,
Fossil fuels,
http://www.greenpeace.org.au/climate/causes/fossil...Greenpeace Australia,
Understanding climate change,
http://www.greenpeace.org.au/climate/overview/inde... Northern Territory Government,
Re-use and recycle directory,
http://www.nt.gov.au/ntg/environ.shtml Planet Ark,
http://www.planetark.com Planet Ark,
Recycling near you,
http://www.recyclingnearyou.com.au/Waste Service NSW,
http://www.wasteservice.nsw.gov.au 
