10 eye-opening facts about waste and recycling

Waste and recycling is much more than just sorting cans and bottles from your general rubbish.

From revolutions in aviation to hidden stockpiles of tech in our homes, you might be surprised at some of the wonders of the waste management world.

Here are 10 eye-opening facts that will challenge your perceptions about your rubbish and inspire you to consider the broader implications of the recycling movement…

1. From trash to take-off

Imagine a world where planes soar through the skies powered by the waste we generate every day.

It may sound like science fiction, but experts predict that Cambridgeshire and Suffolk waste could soon be a key player in aviation fuel.

Planes could be running on waste by 2050, according to an independent government report, helping prevent waste from rotting in landfill and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.

Cleaned and properly prepared waste is mixed with hydrogen and burned at an extremely high temperature to create enough energy to fuel a commercial aircraft. The UK is set to become an important player in the waste aviation fuel market.

MORE: SRF vs RDF: What’s the difference between the alternative fuels?

2. Construction waste is seriously building up

The construction industry leaves behind a colossal waste footprint. An astonishing 62% of all waste generated in the UK can be attributed to building work.

Failing to properly assess waste flows, ordering more materials than is required for the project, and poor waste management practices all contribute to the abundance of construction and demolition waste.

However, the UK has a high recovery rate of 93% for construction waste, as a lot of building project waste can be repurposed as aggregate.

SunSkips is committed to being part of the solution, with plans for a new recycling site in Thetford that would prevent 100,000 tonnes of construction waste from going to landfill.

MORE: Construction waste disposal: How to save money and avoid penalties

3. The big timber turnaround

In just 30 years, the UK has gone from a meagre 2% recycling rate for wood waste in 1990 to an impressive 80% in 2020.

This is a massive turnaround for a nation that has one of the lowest forestry land coverages in Europe and desperately needs to keep wood in the circular economy.

The UK actually imports 81% of the wood it uses, making it the biggest wood importer in the world behind China.

An enormous 4.5 million tonnes of waste wood is generated in the UK every year. Clean wood can easily be recycled into new products like furniture, animal bedding, paper, and cardboard, while chipboards can be made into pellets for fuel.

OPINION: New wood waste regulations are no cause for panic

4. Metal recycling’s £7bn grind

Metal recycling isn’t just environmentally friendly; it’s also a major economic driver.

The UK’s metal recycling industry pumps more than £7 billion into the economy annually, according to the British Metals Recycling Association.

The metal recycling industry keeps 15,000 people in work and a huge 10 million tonnes of metal in the circular economy.

To protect metal recyclers from thieves, the Scrap Metal Dealers Act was introduced, requiring all scrap metal dealers to hold a licence and check the ID of anyone they do business with. It also prohibits the use of cash to buy and sell scrap metal.

5. Green steel reduces CO2 emissions

Recycling steel isn’t just about preserving resources; it’s also a potent weapon against climate change.

Keeping the metal alloy in the circular economy slashes CO2 emissions by a whopping 58% compared to producing steel from scratch.

Recycling steel is a fairly simple process that involves melting it down and reshaping it into new products.

6. Copper’s timeless utility

Copper is a metal with enduring value that serves us well for decades.

In fact, 60% of the copper produced in the 1990s is still actively in use in electronics and wiring today.

Unfortunately, copper is a huge target for thieves, which is bad news for the recycling industry and the environment.

7. Tech treasure troves

Our homes have become unwitting treasure troves of tech items and miles of abandoned cables.

An astonishing 39 million tech items – and enough unused cables to wrap around the Earth five times – are hoarded in UK households.

Valuable electronic waste can be taken to local recycling centres. SunSkips also accepts electronic waste, with some things like batteries, TVs, monitors, microwaves, and kettles collected by special arrangement.

8. The dirty diaper dilemma

Recycling can be a puzzle for some, as evidenced by the one million people in the UK disposing of disposable nappies in the recycling bin.

An eye-watering 150 tonnes of dirty nappies end up in Suffolk’s recycling bins every year, highlighting the need for better waste management education.

Dirty nappies contaminate everything else in the collection that was carefully separated. Dealing with spoiled recycling costs Suffolk taxpayers £1,000,000 a year.

9. Plastic predicament

The UK’s reliance on plastic packaging comes at a staggering cost.

The Big Plastic Count study revealed that almost 100 billion pieces of plastic packaging are discarded in the UK every single day, underscoring the urgency of reducing single-use plastics.

Sadly, only 12% of all that plastic packaging is sent for recycling.

10. Glass 90% full

The UK is on a quest to transform its glass recycling habits, with a goal of reaching a 90% recycling rate by 2030.

While progress is underway, countries like Belgium, Sweden, and Slovenia already lead the way by recycling 95% of their glass.

Glass can be 100% recycled multiple times without impacting its quality, unlike plastics which can only be recycled via traditional methods a few times.

SunSkips is dedicated to extracting as much value as possible from the 100,000 tonnes of waste the company processes every year. Get in touch to learn how SunSkips can improve your waste management practices.