RECYCLE & SAVE WORLD

No garden is complete without a compost pile! Compost is a soil conditioner, mulch and fertilizer all wrapped into one. It feeds the soil microorganisms that help plants stay healthy, adds nutrients to the soil, and helps clay soil drain better and sandy soil retain water. Plus, composting reduces your contribution to the waste stream by recycling yard and kitchen waste into the world's best soil amendment. Here's how to build a pile that breaks down fast and never smells bad.

Composting is an excellent way to recycle kitchen and garden waste. It is very easy to build your own compost bin and use the compost to help your garden grow.

How Composting Works

Composting is the decomposition of materials that originated from animals and plants. These organic materials can be things such as plant trimmings, vegetable cuttings, eggshells and teabags. The composting process produces a dark, crumbly matter that can be used as fertiliser in garden soil. The main stages of composting are:

• Adding organic materials to a compost bin
• Micro-organisms, such as bacteria and fungi, break sown the soft material.
• This causes the compost pile to heat to around 60°C. This is the ideal temperature for micro-organisms to work at.
• The compost pile then cools to below 30°C.
• Small creatures such as worms and insects then break down the tougher material.
• The whole process usually takes about 3 – 9 months, and results in a nutrient-rich fertiliser to use in your garden.
• The compost that is ready to use can be taken from the bottom of the pile, leaving the rest to finish the process.

How to Build a Compost Bin

• You can buy a compost bin or build your own. Compost bins are usually sold at DIY and gardening stores.
• Build a compost bin by creating a frame out of wood and attach it to the ground using posts.
• Your compost bin should be able to hold about 200-300 litres, try and use a bin with a lid to keep out the rain.
• The compost bin should be placed in a well-lit and well-drained area of the garden.
• Try and keep the compost bin out of the wind.
• Improve drainage by breaking up the soil underneath the compost bin.

What You Should and Shouldn’t Compost

What to add to your compost pile:

• Hair and fur
• Shredded paper
• Straw and hay
• Animal bedding and sawdust
• Crushed egg shells
• Grass and plant cuttings
• Raw fruit and vegetable trimmings
• Teabags and coffee granules
• Horse manure
• Leaves

What not to add to your compost pile:

• Meat or fish
• Coal Ash
• Animal waste
• Nappies and used tissues
• Dairy products
• Cooked foods
• Coloured or treated paper
• Chemically treated wood
• Diseased plants
• Persistent weeds

Other composting options

Most composting systems don't allow you to compost cooked food and meat products. However, the Swedish JK125 and JK270 domestic composters from SmartSoil Ltd will enable you turn ALL your kitchen waste into a nutritious soil-improving compost in just a few weeks. Details can be found on SmartSoil's website where you can also find details of a fully automated community composter that will take up to 50 kg of catering waste per day.

A Green Cone or a Green Johanna also allow you to compost all your food products. These unique systems use a combination of solar energy, oxygen and natural bacteria which digests all food waste, created by the average family/household, including all cooked and uncooked meat, bones, fish, dairy, bread pasta, vegetables and fruit into either its natural components of water and carbon dioxide with a minimal residue (Green Cone) or when garden waste is added, into a rich compost (Green Johanna). Both products are made using recycled materials. Visit www.greencone.com for more information.

Electronic rubbish, and computer equipment in particular, is a rapidly expanding stream of UK waste. Low prices allow consumers to replace "gadgets" often, and rapid technological change means there are always newer, better, more powerful products on the market. The result is a burgeoning computer waste mountain. Up to 20 million “obsolete” PCs are discarded annually in the USA alone.

Why is it important to recycle computer equipment?

Also known as e-waste, discarded computer equipment comprises monitors, printers, hard drives and circuit boards. Such items should on no account be thrown out with your household rubbish because they contain toxic substances, and are effectively hazardous waste. E-waste often ends up in the developing world, and the UN's Environment Programme is alarmed by the amount of electronic goods which is improperly disposed of overseas. There is increasing concern about the pollution caused by hazardous chemicals and heavy metals in Africa, Asia and South America.

What's in my PC?
Material	Proportion
Plastic Ferrous metals Non-ferrous metals Electronic boards Glass	23% 32% 18% 12% 15%

A single computer can contain up to 2kg of lead, and the complex mixture of materials make PCs very difficult to recycle.

New legislation

New legislation came into force in 2007 to cover waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The regulations have significant implications those who treat or recover WEEE, and stipulate that users must store, collect, treat, recycle and dispose of WEEE separately from other waste. It is now a requirement that you obtain and keep proof that your WEEE was given to a waste management company, and was treated and disposed of in an environmentally sound way. You can read the full regulations online.

Disposal options

You can dispose of computer waste by returning the product to the manufacturer, taking the item to a professional waste disposal facility or donating the goods to a non-profit organisation.

Manufacturer disposal

Increasingly, manufacturers of electronic goods incorporate e-waste management into their environmental policies and operate consumer recycling schemes. Dell, for example, cover the cost of home pick-up, shipping to the recycling centre, and recycling of any obsolete equipment. The goods are “de-manufactured”, and sorted according to type or material. Materials like steel and aluminium are then re-cycled to make new products, from car parts to plastic toys. Meanwhile non-reusable substances are disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. Another big brand, Hewlett Packard, recycled over 74 million kilograms of electronics in 2005. Since beginning the program 20 years ago, HP has expanded recycling operations to more than 40 world regions. These schemes help to:

• reduce of the volume of waste which ends up in landfill sites
• cut down on the amount of raw materials needed for the manufacture of new products
• make recycling convenient for the consumer

Professional waste disposal

The process is the same as with a manufacturer scheme, but you may have to pay for collection and disposal of the waste. There are quite a few waste disposal cowboys out there, so you should check that the company:

• complies with WEEE and other relevant legislation.
• can provide details of their own Waste Carriers License, and details of any overseas partners they may use. Check with Basel Action Network for details of those countries which have not signed up to a convention to prevent hazardous waste trafficking.

You can search using this list of UK computer recycling and refurbishing outfits.

Donation to charity

A number of non-profit organisations collect electronic equipment including computers and printers, either for reuse or for de-manufacture and recycling. Recipients pay nothing for the equipment or buy it at a heavily discounted rate. Developing countries benefit most from these schemes, but recipients also include UK community groups.

If you decide to donate your PC to charity, be sure to check that:

• Appropriate security measures are in place to prevent unauthorised access, alteration or accidental loss or destruction of personal data, which is a legal requirement under the 1998 Data Protection Act. Reformatting the hard drive is not sufficient to permanently destroy all data.
• The organisation has a strategy for waste management once the PC becomes obsolete. It's all very well sending computers to Nigeria to help train students in IT, but what happens when the equipment becomes obsolete? Is there a programme for disposal or will your donation just end up as e-waste in a backyard 3000 miles away?

In the UK there are now more than fifty non-profit organisations which collect, refurbish and supply PCs. A well-established choice is Computer Aid International, which has distributed nearly 100,000 PCs in over 100 countries, making it the global leader in not-for-profit supply of IT equipment.

OFFERS/Ex-IT is a a London based reuse/recycling project which has been set up to assist students, people on low income, Voluntary Sector Organisations (VSO’s), small start-up businesses to gain access to low cost ICT and office furniture. The project has been in action since 1996, and as a whole has helped over 5000 VSO’s, small businesses and students to gain access to low cost, reliable ICT and office fittings.

The project's main objective is to divert WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) and surplus office fittings and furniture away from landfill and back into reuse. They make recycling very easy by even arranging collections of computers, consumer electronics and office furniture.

Digital Links is a registered charity and provides an IT disposal service to British schools and companies. Digital Links redistributes the computers to schools and community projects in the developing world. At present they have already distributed over 75,000 computers in just five years.

Asbestors

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• All waste batteries are classified as hazardous waste and recycling is always the best option.
• Ordinary household batteries do contain some hazardous chemicals so ideally should not be thrown out with the day to day rubbish.
• Rechargeable batteries contain harmful metals, so should never be thrown away with daily rubbish, they should be returned to manufacturer for disposal or recycled elsewhere.
• Local councils or garages sometimes offer battery-recycling services.
• Contact your local council to see if they are running a battery collection scheme.
• Contact the battery manufacturer for further recycling advice.
• Ordinary batteries require a lot of energy to make, so in order to save energy, use rechargeable batteries and electricity mains instead of ordinary batteries.
• Rechargable batteries are the most environmentally friendly option as can last for up to several hundred charging cycles resulting in less waste being produced.

Read our blog about the new rules and regulations for battery recycling that came into force on the 5th May 2009.

From the 1st January 2010 BatteryBack, the official recycling scheme for the new battery regulations, will provide FREE nationwide battery collection and recycling.

Building materials

• Buildings are made from many materials, many of which are recyclable such as metal, wood, glass, etc. Recycle these materials accordingly.
• Architectural salvage yards may take some items for reselling.
• Many building materials can be reused, such as bricks and wood.

Clinical waste

• Clinical waste such as nappies, sanitary waste and medical supplies have the potential to be infectious so must be disposed of using special methods.
• Be very careful when disposing of needles and syringes.
• Look for doctors or manufacturer instructions of how to dispose of medical waste on the packaging containers.
• Medicine containers can be recycled accordingly once it is empty.
• Contact your local council to see if they offer free medical waste collection.
• Some companies are currently implementing clinical waste treatment schemes, such as Medical Waste Solutions Ltd.

Electrical equipment

• Most electrical equipment can be reused or broken down into parts.
• If the electrical equipment is still in full working order, sell it in a car boot sale or donate it to a charity shop.
• Contact your retailer as they may take back old products.
• Some councils accept electrical equipment at their waste recycling centres.
• Always try to repair items rather than throwing them away, others may find a use for the item when you no longer want it.
• Try to buy electrical items that have a long life span.

Furniture

• Donate usable furniture to charity shops, schools, community centres, friends or neighbours.
• Sell furniture at garage sales or in auctions.
• Clean and repair broken furniture before you sell/donate it.
• Before you sell/donate your furniture, make sure it has the kite mark of approval to show that it meets British safety standards.

Glass

• Glass is separated into 3 colours: green, brown and clear.
• Take great care when handling broken glass, wear gloves if possible.
• Deposit glass at your nearest recycling bank by throwing them into the appropriate container.
• Many supermarkets have glass-recycling banks, enabling you to recycle glass on your weekly shop.
• Most home recycle bins, provided by your local council, usually accept glass.
• Make sure you wash out the bottle or jar before putting it into recycling bins.
• Reuse glass whenever possible. Jars can be used as small containers and bottles can be used as vases.

Metal

• Metal is usually separated into 2 groups: aluminium and steel.
• You can test which metal your waste is by using a magnet. Aluminium metal is non-magnetic whereas steel is magnetic.
• There may be a symbol, such as an alu mark, on the product to indicate what metal it is made from.
• Drink cans are usually made from aluminium and food cans are usually made from steel.
• Most home recycling bins, provided by your local council, usually accept metal.
• Deposit used cans at your local recycling bank.
• Make sure drink and food cans are clean before recycling.
• Aerosol containers can be recycled, but only when they are completely empty.
• Metallic plastic film, such as chocolate wrappers, cannot be recycled.
• Find out if there is a ‘cash for cans’ scheme operating near you.

Paint/Oil

• Waste such as paint, paintbrushes, car oil and oil filters have to be carefully disposed of, as they can be very damaging to the environment.
• Don't pour oil or paint down the drain.
• Donate unwanted paints and varnishes, as others can reuse them.
• Look for disposal or recycling instructions on the packaging of the product.
• Civic amenity sites often take engine oil for recycling.
• Buy products in bulk whenever possible to reduce packaging waste.
• Use eco-friendly alternatives whenever possible.

Reusing Paint

Community RePaint is a network of paint reuse schemes across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The purpose of the project is to collect leftover reusable paint from householders, and redistribute it to those who need paint but cannot afford it. This site will tell you more about the scheme and help you find the nearest RePaint scheme to you.

Recycling Engine Oil

It is important that you recycle your engine oil correctly as even a small amount of oil can cause damage to the environment as well as making a noticable mess.

The Oil Care Campaign has been set up by the Environment Agency, in association with SEPA in Scotland and Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) in Northern Ireland, to try and reduce pollution from oil and to help people dispose of their engine oil safely and correctly. On the Oilcare site there is a oil bank locator where you can type in your postcode and find the nearest place to take your used engine oil to for safe disposal.

Remember: UK oil banks are for waste engine oil, not cooking oil, thinners, white spirit, paint or any other chemical.

Plastic

• Paper is separated into the following groups:
  • Magazines
  • Newspapers
  • Office paper
  • Cardboard
  • Phone directories
• Deposit used paper at your local recycling bank.
• Most home recycling bins, provided by your local council, usually accept paper products.
• Only recycle gummed paper if specified, such as envelopes and stickers.
• Reduce paper waste by cancelling unwanted deliveries, or read news online as opposed to buying newspapers.
• Put a ‘no junk mail please’ sign on your letter box to reduce unwanted deliveries.
• Reuse paper around the home as scrap paper or packing material. Envelopes can also be reused.
• Set your printer to print on both sides of the paper.
• Buy recycled paper whenever possible.

Printer cartridges

24 million homes in the UK have a personal computer and 90% of those homes have printers. The average household uses 2-3 inkjet cartridges a year and many offices use large numbers of laser cartridges. Only 15 % of the 65 million printer cartridges that are sold in the UK are recycled which means the rest end up in landfill sites and this is major bad news as the plastic used in a typical cartridge is made of engineering grade polymers and is expected to take up to 1000 years to decompose!

Recycling printer cartridges really is worthwhile as cartridges can be expensive and remanufactured printer cartridges can cost as little as 10% of what original cartridges do. By lessening the amount of cartridges ending up in landfill sites, you are being kinder to the environment too.

The Recycling Appeal collects printer cartridges (as well as mobile phones and PDAs) for reuse and recycling. They raise funds for charity whilst helping the environment at the same time. The Recycling Appeal has generated over £2 million for partner organisations since 1999.

They make recycling your old printer cartridges easy by offering free collection envelopes. You simply need to pop your items into a freepost envelope and put it in the post. You can call up or fill out an online form to get an envelope sent out to you. If you have large quantities of items to send, the Recycling Appeal will arrange for a courier to come and collect them from you free of charge.

Recycling Appeal incentives include:

• Freepost envelopes or free collection for multiple items
• Choose your appeal from a number of charities
• Recycle phones, PDAs and printer cartridges.

Reclying Banks

As well as home recycling bins, there are many recycling banks across the UK that can be used to recycle different materials. They are located on streets across the UK as well as in supermarkets and outside housing estates.

Most recycling banks are emptied on a regular basis. However, if you do come across one that is over-flowing, contact your local council who will arrange for the bank to be emptied. You can also contact your local council to report vandalism to the recycle banks.

To find out where your local recycling bank is or if you want to know which materials can be recycled where, check the recycling point search here.

Textile

• Most home recycling bins, provided by your local council, accept old clothes and textiles. Recycling banks may also accept old clothes.
• Donate old clothes to charity shops or take them to a jumble sale.
• Only donate clothes that are still usable.
• Old clothes can be used to make other textile items, such as cushion covers or cleaning cloths.
• When donating shoes, make sure they are tied together so they don’t separate.

Vehicals

• Up to 80% of a vehicle can be recycled, see below for where to take your vehicle for recycling.
• Try and fix your vehicle instead of throwing it away.
• Sell unwanted vehicles.
• Report abandoned vehicles to your local council for removal.
• Engine oil can be recycled at civic amenity sites.
• Contact your local council for further advice on recycling vehicles and their components.

There are hundreds of approved vehicle dismantlers, recyclers and salvage sites across the UK. Find your nearest site here.

Visit The Motor Vehicle Dismantlers Association website for a full list of members, all of whom are properly licensed by the Environment Agency and can treat End of Life Vehicles in accordance with all current legislation, including issuing the DVLA required Certificate of Destruction.

Read about the new EU legislation which has recently come into force and aims to improve the recycling process for old vehicles.

Metro Salvage offers a free environmentally friendly car recycling service. They simply pickup your vehicle within 3 days and dismantle it in a safe and friendly manor. If you would like to have your car recycled, then please fill out the form.

Wood

• Take wood to civic amenity sites for recycling.
• Wood can often be reused to make other items, such as a bird table for your garden.
• Wood can often be added to your compost heap, such as sawdust and wood shavings.
• Buy recycled wood whenever possible.

Recycled Wood Furniture

Recycled wood can be used to produce unique eco-friendly furniture, some great examples can be seen at reelfurniture.co.uk
Reelfurniture creates recycled wooden furniture for home and garden with the knowledge that they are acting positively to protect timber resources and conserve our forests.

The consumer throws aluminium cans and foil into a recycle bin.

The aluminium is then collected and taken to a treatment plant.

In the treatment plant the aluminium is sorted and cleaned ready for reprocessing.

It then goes through a re-melt process and turns into molten aluminium, this removes the coatings and inks that may be present on the aluminium.

The aluminium is then made into large blocks called ingots. Each ingot contains about 1.6 million drinks cans.
The ingots are sent to mills where they are rolled out, this gives the aluminium greater flexibility and strength.
This is then made into aluminium products such as cans, chocolate wrapping and ready meal packaging.
In as little as 6 weeks, the recycled aluminium products are then sent back to the shops ready to be used again.

The consumer throws glass into a recycle bin.


Glass is taken from the bin and taken to a glass treatment plant.


The glass is sorted by colour and washed to remove any impurities.


The glass is then crushed and melted, then moulded into new products such as bottles and jars. Or it may be used for alternative purposes such as brick manufacture or decorative uses.


The glass is then sent back to the shops ready to be used again.


Glass does not degrade through the recycling process, so it can be recycled again and again.

Paper is taken from the bin and deposited in a large recycling container along with paper from other recycling bins.


The paper is taken to a recycling plant where it is separated into types and grades.


The separated paper is then washed with soapy water to remove inks, plastic film, staples and glue. The paper is put into a large holder where it is mixed with water to create ‘slurry’.


By adding different materials to the slurry, different paper products can be created, such as cardboard, newsprints or office paper.



The slurry is spread using large rollers into large thin sheets.


The paper is left to dry, and then it is rolled up ready to be cut and sent back to the shops.

As well as home recycling bins, there are many recycling banks across the UK that can be used to recycle different materials.
They are located on streets across the UK as well as in supermarkets and outside housing estates.
Most recycling banks are emptied on a regular basis. However, if you do come across one that is over-flowing, contact your local council who will arrange for the bank to be emptied. You can also contact your local council to report vandalism to the recycle banks.
To find out where your local recycling bank is or if you want to know which materials can be recycled where, check the recycling point search here.

Why is recycling provision so variable across the UK?

The government does not specify how recycling targets should be met, so it's up to the local authority to implement schemes suited to their area. Services and facilities thus vary greatly, from separated waste collection to the single kerbside "green box" system. Variation seems endless, and it's due to the following:

• Cost - Investment in new recycling facilities is expensive, so cash-strapped councils stick to established recycling processes, (paper, glass).

• Targets - Statutory recycling targets are weight-based, shifting focus onto heavier waste streams (glass, metal) at the expense of lighter plastics.

• Logistics - Collection can be problematic in rural (long distances between homes, scarcity of recycling facilities) and urban areas (limited space, tower blocks).

• No nationwide framework - Industry bodies, charities and campaign groups encourage best practice but there is still a lack of government guidance.

Which type of collection is best?

Recycling collection schemes aim to, firstly, divert more waste from landfill and, secondly, facilitate efficient, profitable recycling. However, the debate rages on the proper method for meeting these targets:

The case for "co-mingled" collections

A 2005 study by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) showed that the quantity of paper collected for recycling rose when collections moved from single-material to multi-material. Clearly, separating recyclables takes time, whereas co-mingled (mixed waste) collections are easier for the householder, and boost overall recycling levels. To collect the material accepted in co-mingled schemes individually, kerbside collection lorries would need to be highly compartmentalised. Co-mingled kerbside collections reduce the number of trips householders make to recycling centres. Both factors make co-mingled collections more energy-efficient.

The case for separation

Costs increase as more collection and separation is required for the recovery process. Furthermore, co-mingled waste leads to an increased risk of contamination. Different types of material are in contact with each other, and a single kerbside box may result in householders being less attentive when sorting recyclate. The recycling box becomes more of a second dustbin, with hygiene and cross-contamination both issues to be considered.

The solution?

A good compromise is the dual bag method adopted by several local authorities. Powys County Council, for example, provide households with two bags - a red one for plastics and metal, a black one for paper, card and textiles. Partial separation makes the process more efficient for the council, without placing a burden on householders.

How can I improve the way I recycle?

To reduce contamination and improve recycling efficiency, wash and squash!

Wash

• Scrape out any food remains/pour away excess liquid.
• Rinse the container (use your washing-up water)
• Don't put recyclate in the dishwasher – no need to waste resources to achieve an unnecessary level of cleanliness!

Squash

• Crush metal cans.
• Squeeze plastic bottles flat to expel as much air as possible.

These steps help prevent contamination and reduce the volume of recyclate, making collections more energy efficient.

What about lids, rings and labels?

If you can remove labels and lids from glass jars and bottles, that's great, but don't worry too much because, in the recycling process, the items are re-washed. After crushing, any non-glass objects are removed.

Removing the caps and lids from plastic containers is more important. Plastic caps are often made from a different polymer type, and therefore have a different a melting point when compared to the plastic used for the bottle itself. Too many lids will contaminate the load, so remove and throw away plastic caps where possible. The plastic ring around the neck of the bottle can be left on - a minimal amount of contamination is tolerated.

Remove paper clips, staples and plastic envelope windows from paper. Also remove excessive amounts of tape and labelling from cardboard packaging. Small amounts won't affect the recycling process unduly.

Can I recycle soiled paper?

Paper fibres cannot be recycled if they are contaminated with food. Here are a few tips:

• Put greasy wrappers into your compost/main rubbish.
• Tear out contaminated portions (e.g. a cheesy pizza box lid), and recycle the clean remainder.
• Use tissues as compost, as heir dense fibres make them unsuitable for paper recycling.

How do I know what I can recycle?

Check out recycling provision in your area by visiting Recycle Now. If you are unsure, contact your local authority for details. Ask to speak to the Waste Minimisation Team or Recycling Officer - contact details are included in the Recycle Now search.

Plastics are a particular area of confusion, even though at least two thirds of local authorities now offer a plastics collection scheme. Technically, almost all plastics can be recycled, but the collection infrastructure and low market demand are barriers to the recycling of some types. Blended polymers are particularly costly to recycle, so yoghurt pots, for example, are not usually collected because they are made from a mixture of polymers.

Types of plastic

Almost all plastic bottles are made from one of these plastics:

• PET (bottled for fizzy drinks, cordial, cooking oil)
• HDPE (bottled for milk & fruit juice, washing-up liquid, fabric conditioner)
• PVC (bottles for still mineral water, toiletries, cordial)

Waste Online has a detailed list of the common types of plastic and the identifying symbols you will find on the packaging. Alternatively, you can download and print out a handy table to keep by your recycling bin from Recoup.

As well as recycling, it is important to buy products made from recycled material. This will increase the demand for recycled products as well as create a good recycling loop. Recycled products are widely available; use this page to become familiar with the different eco-friendly labels you might find on these products.

Plastics

These symbols indicate what type of plastic the product is made from:

As well as recycling, it is important to buy products made from recycled material. This will increase the demand for recycled products as well as create a good recycling loop. Recycled products are widely available; use this page to become familiar with the different eco-friendly labels you might find on these products.

Plastics

These symbols indicate what type of plastic the product is made from:

Build a House From Recycled Products

You may be surprised, but it is possible to build a house using almost all recycled or recyclable material. Below are some examples of materials that can be used when building a house.

• Tyres can be packed with earth and arranged on top of one another like bricks, and used as interior walls. They can then be covered with plaster to absorb heat and provide insulation for the house. This method reduces the amount of timber required in the building.
• Cellulose insulation material can be made from recycled newspapers and can provide insulation for the building.
• Recycled/recyclable steel can be used for many frameworks in a building. Steel can also be used for creating the roof.
• Plastic PET bottles can be recycled to make carpet material for the building, and carpet pads can be made from reused textiles.
• Recycled wood can be used for much of the interior of the house, such as worktops, cabinets and drawers.
• Reclaimed paint can be used to decorate the building once