Global Recycling Day: 18th March

Here at Natusan we’re big believers in reducing waste. Tomorrow, Saturday 18th March, is Global Recycling Day, and we couldn’t let it pass without taking the chance to learn more about recycling and how we can all be making a difference. 

If you’re a Natusan customer, then you already know that our packaging is 100% recyclable - and, chances are, you know that our Natusan litter is made out of natural industry byproducts, giving them a whole new lease of life. 

But so much of our household recycling can feel like a mystery, with many everyday essentials still coming in materials that are not recyclable, and uncertainty about what can and can’t be recycled, and how.

 

What is Global Recycling Day?

Global Recycling Day was started in 2018, with the goal to recognise and celebrate the importance of recycling when it comes to preserving our planet and its resources. In its own words, it has two main missions:

1. To tell world leaders that recycling is simply too important not to be a global issue, and that a common, joined up approach to recycling is urgently needed.
2. To ask people across the planet to think resource, not waste, when it comes to the goods around us – until this happens, we simply won’t award recycled goods the true value and repurpose they deserve.

 

Recycling grey areas

We already know the basics when it comes to recycling, but what about those problematic items that seem like they should be recyclable, but aren’t quite so simple? Let’s take a closer look at a few, and discover the best ways to dispose of them - for the good of the planet.

 

 

Takeaway coffee cups

We’ve all been there: you’re out and about and desperate for a coffee, but you’ve left your reusable coffee cup at home. If you grab a quick takeaway latte it can be tempting to throw the cup in the paper recycling, but this is often what’s referred to as ‘wish-cycling’ - chucking it in the recycling and hoping for the best.

In reality, most coffee cups aren’t accepted with household recycling. But there is hope: certain high street cafe chains, including Costa Coffee and Caffe Nero, will now accept them in their stores to be recycled, so you can save up a few and take them on your next trip into town. On the Recycle Now website, you can enter your postcode to find your next available location for recycling paper coffee cups. 

 

Crisp packets

Another common example of ‘wish-cycling’, crisp packets can’t be recycled with our household recycling - if only it were that simple. Instead, crisp packets need to be saved up and taken to a specific recycling point, like your local supermarket. Find out more about recycling crisp packets, including your closest recycling locations.

 

Black plastic

You might already be aware of the controversy (or confusion) around the topic of black plastics, and whether or not they can be recycled. Recycle Now offers this guide on black plastic, but the answer isn’t a simple yes or no.

The technology used to sort recycling struggles to recognise black plastics, meaning they’re often not recycled at all. This problem has been known about for years, and some changes are being made to solve it. 

New technologies have been developed to allow some black plastics to be detected - but this requires local authorities to update their software. In the meantime, other authorities claim to be manually sorting black plastic. The general advice is to contact your local authority to find out if black plastics can be recycled in your postcode.

 

 

Recycling contamination

It’s tempting to think that a cardboard pizza box belongs in the recycling, but if it’s covered in grease from that delicious pizza, then it probably can’t be recycled. The same goes for many other items, like jars and food containers, which still contain leftover food - or cardboard that’s still covered in sticky tape. You can find out more information on how to avoid recycling contamination.