Why cardboard recycling will help our economy and environment

Ultimately, we want our waste collected on time. We care about the environment, but we also need our bins emptied. But the cardboard recycling industry has tighter and more stringent recycling rules. Therefore, we need more than fines and missed collections to motivate us. This post examines why there’s so many reasons to recycle paper and cardboard. Including how it can generate jobs.

 

Cardboard recycling isn’t going away

Let’s face it, it’s frustrating to see that your paper and cardboard recycling hasn’t been collected. Either you put in the wrong type of cardboard or the waste was contaminated somehow. Or maybe there was a sheet of cardboard paper sticking out the top.

With so many rules, it’s tempting not to bother. After all, who will notice if some paper and cardboard is in the household bin? But the fact remains that cardboard recycling is a growth industry. One that can help regenerate the UK post Brexit. And contribute to the economy after the devastating effects of Covid-19.

 

Cardboard recycling creates jobs

Recycling is a labour-intensive process that involves a whole host of activities. For example, collection crews are needed to pick up the waste. Then what arrives at the plant must be sorted into piles that are acceptable for processing.

This processing needs human hands and supervision. Plus, then there is the administration required. Waste needs to be logged, recorded, and tracked. All in accordance with trade waste legislation.

Another area that isn’t often considered is the sales of recycled waste to global markets. Recycled cardboard used to go to China, but since they declined UK produce, we must find other markets to export to.

Sales and administration teams are needed to manage this process. And there is the huge scale of the logistics required. After all, drivers and officers are needed to transport the waste according to the various laws and permits.

As you can see, a whole industry exists. And compared to industry that surrounds, say, coal, this is one that’s good for the environment. Lots of jobs are created, which helps boost and sustain our economy.

Covid-19 has decimated many industries around the country. Therefore, cardboard recycling is a great opportunity to help the UK get back on its feet.

It’s estimated that if the US manages to recycle 75% of the waste it produces by 2030, it will create an extra 1.1 million jobs. The same goes for the UK. If we want to increase economic stability and growth, recycling cardboard is the way to go.

 

It reduces the size of landfill

Do you want to live next to a land-fill site? Let’s face it, none of us would like that on our doorstep. And yet, the number of tonnes of paper and cardboard sent to landfill in the UK has doubled over the last decade.

Additionally, our options for exporting it are becoming limited. Recently China banned recycled exports from the UK because of the harm it poses.

Worse, if we don’t reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, we could run out of landfill capacity by 2022. Recent data published by the TFR Group shows 45.4 million tonnes of waste is dumped in UK landfills every year. This will fill the UK’s existing landfill void capacity in the next twelve months, based on current trends.

Landfills aren’t just ugly and foul-smelling. They’re also expensive to build, maintain, and they take up a lot of space. Then there’s the septic systems to consider. Ultimately, landfills pose a large risk to health. They risk toxic substances being released into the air, land, and local water supply.

For every tonne of cardboard, we reduce the space taken up at landfill by three cubic yards. Since we left the EU, the onus is on us to prove we can take good care of ourselves and our environment. Plus become one of the countries with the smallest amount of landfill sites. After all, we all have our part to play and kick-start a recycling revolution.

 

Reduce greenhouse gases

When cardboard waste reaches landfill, it’s broken down slowly by the elements. This means that methane gas is released into the atmosphere. Methane is a greenhouse gas, and as such, a known contributing factor to the effects of climate change.

If cardboard is sent to a recycling plant, however, the cardboard can be reused. Then turned into the usual kind of recycled cardboard materials we see. These include paper towels, cereal boxes, and writing paper. Of course, methane is released. But much less than if it was simply sent to landfill.

 

Save energy

Reducing the amount of energy used nationally means we place less strain on the environment. So, put simply, recycling cardboard means that we don’t cut down as many trees. Further to that, it’s estimated that we use 25% less energy because the material is already formed.

Even better, we don’t need to use as many chemicals in the treatment process.

Plants that produce virgin cardboard might use less energy from the grid. But this is because the trees made into paper and cardboard are converted into energy for production.

However, that figure is quickly negated during the actual process. When it comes to packaging, recycled cardboard cuts 25% off our energy consumption.

 

Save trees

It’s estimated that for every tree cut down, 151 cardboard boxes are produced. With Amazon delivering 1.6 million packages a day, the retail giant needs to cut over 10,000 trees every 24 hours. And that’s just for Amazon. Let’s not forget that millions of other companies that exist the world over. All of whom need cardboard to ship their products.

With 46% of the world’s trees now gone, our planet can’t sustain that rate of consumption. Trees create the air we breathe and support the ecosystems that give us life. If we want to ensure that we have enough breathable air for our children, we must reduce the number of trees we cut down.

According to estimates, for every tonne of cardboard we recycle, we save 17 trees. Last year the UK saved 2 million tonnes of recycled cardboard. So, that’s the equivalent of 34 million trees. Which goes some way to offsetting the 15 billion cut down each year globally.

But as you can see, more needs to be done. Which is why cardboard recycling has become so important.

 

Wide range of benefits

Remember, for every tonne of recycled paper or cardboard, we can save 17 trees. Plus 4,000 kilowatts of energy, and three cubic yards of landfill. And we’re not talking about saving, either. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are created.

Our planet’s resources aren’t infinite. And our economy is fragile. With landfill space reducing and the country recovering after Covid, we should all become part of a recycling revolution.

ECO are passionate about being part of the solution. That’s why we encourage our customers to provide as much cardboard and paper as they can. Provided the cardboard isn’t contaminated, we can help the UK reach its recycling goals.

So, if you need assistance with your cardboard and paper disposal, please get in touch. We can offer you a great rate and help you meet your targets for the year ahead.