Beginner

Introduction

Recycling in Reading is well below the national average and too many recycling bins are diverted to general waste due to contamination. Learn how to recycle your items correctly in the Reading area with Re3’s Re3cyclopedia.

Why

When a substance is thrown away, it’s important that it can be recycled or broken down organically. If not, materials will end up in long-term landfills where they may not break down. For example, plastic items can take up to 1000 years to decompose in landfills. Hence, it is vital to recycle plastic correctly if possible, to ensure that it can be reused.

Benefits of recycling correctly:

  • To preserve raw materials – making new products out of recycled materials reduces the need to consume precious resources. So, recycling helps protect raw materials and protect natural habitats for future generations.
  • To save energy – using recycled materials in the manufacturing process uses considerably less energy than that required for producing new products from raw materials.
  • To help protect the environment – recycling reduces the need for extracting (mining, quarrying and logging), refining and processing raw materials all of which create substantial air and water pollution. As recycling saves energy, it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which helps to tackle climate change.
  • To reduce landfill – There are over 1,500 landfill sites in the UK and, in 2001, these sites produced a quarter of the UK’s emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that is released as the biodegradable waste (such as food and paper) decomposes.

How

Using the Re3cylopedia is easy – simply type in what you wish to throw away and your post code. The Re3cylopedia will then tell you the best way to dispose of your items in an eco-friendly way. It will also show you where your nearest recycling points for certain items can be found.

You can find the Re3cylopedia here.

(Information taken from South London Waste Partnership)

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