CONSCIOUS LIVING
Our decisions and behaviours have huge implications for the planet. Each individual act we make leaves a footprint, and some are much bigger than others.
Recycling & Upcycling: Why you should do it and how you can start today
For anyone wondering what recycling and upcycling really look like in practice this one’s for you. Let’s get into how you can lessen your impact on this planet in simple and small ways.
First up: Refuse, Reuse, Recycle. Simple.
Refusing unnecessary products that will only add to the clutter, reusing what you already own in ways you never knew you could, and recycling whatever doesn’t fall under the other two R’s. Refusing is simple — start saying no to all the things you don’t really need; paper receipts, unwanted flyers, plastic cutlery you never end up using, plastic bags etc. These steps are easy to take. Recycling and Upcycling can be a little more complex.
Here’s the breakdown:
Reusing (Upcycling)
Upcycling involves repurposing and reusing products you already have. Sometimes all it takes is a little creativity to give life to something you thought was ready to be thrown out. You can easily reuse containers and jars to store future food items so that the next time you buy, you can opt for the refill options (it’s often cheaper too). You can also get creative and use them for household storage, coffee jars, for example, are a great way to store bits and pieces around the house. Reuse spray bottles and make your own natural cleaning products or sprays. You can also use containers and jars as the perfect home for a succulent or plant. Clothes can also be upcycled — instead of throwing away old clothes, try cutting them up to use as rags or cleaning cloths, or turn them into bags for extra storage in your pantry.
Look for the second life in all your disposable products, or seek-out brands that make upcycling a priority in their packaging and start getting a little creative.
Recycling
Recycling materials means they can be reused or repurposed into other things. Instead of throwing everything into your rubbish bin, get into the habit of separating things that can be recycled. Recycling hasn’t always been as beneficial as we may have thought — but local recycling programmes have seen huge changes over recent years and continue to become more efficient over time. The key to the biggest change is in our own recycling behaviours — unfortunately, a lack of education, rinsing, and care, causes a lot of incorrect items to be placed into recycling facilities. This doesn’t only disrupt the entire process — but it inevitably leads to further waste and unnecessary resource depletion.
Familiarise yourself with your local recycling rules (they can differ slightly) and see how easy it is for you to get involved. Some places allow you to throw all of your recyclables together (plastics, papers and metals), into the same
“Familiarise yourself with your local recycling rules (they can differ slightly) and see how easy it is for you to get involved.”
same bin, while others require you to separate them into different piles. This can be a bit of a nuisance, but different recycling plants have different systems and these steps are important in making sure they’re running as efficiently as possible.
Make sure you pay attention to which items are actually recyclable — it’s not always as obvious as you might think. Some plastic wrappings and bags, foam and certain containers aren’t always recyclable. Have a quick look at the labels and your local recycling rules to get a good idea of which items to recycle and which to discard with the rubbish. Some supermarkets and hardware stores offer programs where they take back packaging or rubbish items from you and repurpose them — do a bit of research into the local businesses near you to see if this could be the case in your area.
Note: It’s important to wash containers before recycling them as it slows down the sorting process at the other end of things. It’s also important to note that some materials that seem recyclable are often lined with non-recyclable inserts. These are often waxy liners, plastic-lined coffee cups and cosmetic packaging. If you’re interested in learning more about non-recyclable lining be sure to check the labels of the things you’re buying next time you’re at the shops. A lot of brands make sure to only use recyclable packaging, but that’s not always the case.
Why should we do it?
Refusing, reusing, and recycling are simple ways we can all help protect the environment. Each time we do so, we decrease the need for extracting, refining and processing raw materials, which create air and water pollution. Making a few small changes to our recycling
“Each time we do so, we decrease the need for extracting, refining and processing raw materials which create air and water pollution.“
habits helps save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and builds our efforts in tackling climate change.
To learn more about how our decisions and behaviours impact the planet, watch this inspiring Ted Talk by Greta Thunberg. In this video, Greta is 15 years old and already change-making and carving her way in this world, helping to save the planet and reduce the impact we’re making so that we can make the future a better reality for generations to come. Are you in?
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