3.9C - Recycling
Recycling has a role in managing resource consumption and ecological footprints, but its use varies by product and place (local authorities in the UK or local NGOs such as Keep Britain Tidy). (F: environmental consequences of different patterns of resource consumption)
Recycling materials from waste products reduces the extraction of new materials and decreases consumption and the amount of waste sent to landfill.
Local councils in the UK play a key role in reducing waste and ecological footprints through recycling and councils' waste collection service.
Recycling of household waste increased from 17% to 44% between 2003 and 2013 but this was still some way behind the 65% achieved in Germany.
Recycling does reduce waste, but different councils have different schemes with different results and reducing packaging may be a better way forward. Rate of recycling varies by product as not all materials are easily recyclable - these and valuable materials are recycled most (e.g. metals, paper, glass). Those that are difficult or dangerous to extract will not be (razor blades, medicines, cling film, crockery).
Keep Britain Tidy is an NGO set up in 1954. In 1969 they introduced the 'tidyman' logo on bins and packaging to encourage people to dispose of litter appropriately. Their campaigns encourage households to recycle and firms to reduce packaging or the proportion that can be recycled.