Why Recycling is Not the Solution and What We Can Do About It.

Recycling alone won't solve the waste crisis—it’s time to rethink our approach and embrace the 6Rs of sustainability: Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, and then Recycle. Discover how simple lifestyle changes can make a bigger impact than recycling ever could and help turn the tide on waste!

Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to imply that the act of recycling is pointless or deny the fact that recycling is a good way to try and mitigate the impact of existing plastic waste. Unfortunately, however, it is not the great solution a lot of people believe it to be. In fact, a number of studies have now shown that the availability of recycling options negatively influences consumption habits. When you also take into account that plastic can only realistically be re-processed once or twice before it heads to landfill or incineration it becomes apparent that recycling is not the all singing, all dancing solution we hoped it was.

The Impact of Recycling on Human Behaviour

Recycling has long been championed as a key solution to the plastic pollution crisis. However, a closer look reveals that it may actually be contributing to the problem. While the intentions behind recycling are noble, the reality is far more complicated. One significant study that sheds light on the impact of recycling on human behaviour is titled "Recycling Gone Bad: The Effect of Recycling vs. Trashing on Consumption." Conducted by Jesse R. Catlin and Yitong Wang and published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, the study explored how the option to recycle affects the amount of material consumed. It conducted a series of experiments in which participants were given access to either recycling or rubbish bins while being observed on their consumption of resources, such as paper and plastic. And, yep, you've guessed it - the key finding was that participants consumed more resources when they had access to recycling bins than when they only had access to rubbish bins.

The Rebound Effect: More Plastic, Not Less

The premise of recycling is simple: reuse materials to reduce waste and conserve resources. However, this logic falters when human behaviour is factored in. The availability of recycling options often leads to a psychological license to consume more. People feel justified in using more plastic because they believe it will be recycled. This results in a net increase in consumption rather than a reduction. Moreover, we have developed a “disposable” lifestyle where it has become the norm to use something once and throw it away. Estimates are that around 50% of plastic is used just once and thrown away.

What do I mean by Contamination?

Even if you’re diligent about putting it in the recycling bin, over half a million tonnes of recycling is rejected at the point of sorting due to contamination with non-recyclables. Some of the hardest everyday plastics to recycle are the ones you might logically assume belong in the recycling bin. Unfortunately, when it comes to recycling, the maxim is "if in doubt, leave it out."

Most likely suspects:

• All soft plastics - although soft plastics can be recycled at local supermarkets like Coop and are worth collecting in a separate bin

  • Plastic bags

  • Toilet roll wrapping

  • Most food packages (e.g. salad, bread, pasta, rice, cheese, fruit bags, etc.)

• Cling film and bubble wrap

• Toilet roll wrapping

• Snack packets (e.g. crisps and biscuits)

• Pouches (e.g. pet food pouches)

• Multi-pack wrapping

• Pill packets

  
  

With households generating 90 billion pieces of plastic waste a year, the UK’s recycling systems can’t cope, and a lot of plastic types are too complicated to recycle. For the percentage that does end up in the recycling plant, recycled plastics degrade quickly so they can only be re-processed once or twice before they go the same way as the rest: landfilled, exported, or incinerated. The recycling process isn’t so green either. A study has found that one UK recycling plant produces three million pounds of microplastics a year, even with a filtration system in place.

Give Me Some Good News!

I'm sorry, that was pretty heavy reading, but this blog is called Eco Solutions, so here's the solution. Since 81% of everyday plastics are related to food, supermarkets and other big players need to be held accountable for the amount of plastic waste being created. But, unlike carbon emissions, where 60-70% of total emissions are industrial or energy-related, the fight against plastic pollution is significantly influenced by individual behaviour. Private individuals and households account for two-thirds of all plastic use, whereas only one-third is used across industrial and commercial applications. This is good news! We, the consumer, can stage our own mini fight against plastic and… make a difference! The whole premise of Easy Eco Swaps is that there are alternatives to plastic out there, and they do not have to be inconvenient or more expensive; they can be easy.

Join the R's Revolution to Reduce Waste

The first step in this fight is to see the single-use plastic consumption for what it is: Bonkers! We are stuck in a repetitive buying habit that does not make sense. The next step is to realise that recycling isn’t enough to tackle plastic waste, which is why we need to approach waste disposal using the Rs of waste reduction instead—rethink your shopping habits, refuse what you can, reduce what you can’t, reuse more, repair where possible, and finally, recycle what’s left. If you stick with Easy Eco Swaps I will continue to take you through the best alternative options out there.

With regards to the food industry, like I said, this is hard. There is no doubt about it. So just do what you can. Try and buy loose veg whenever you can and don't fall into the trap of putting it in a light-weight plastic bag for check out. Check out tills are all done on weight and your veg can easily be weighed without the bag. If you're buying small tomatoes or new potatoes, try to take paper bags or veg bags with you, but don't beat yourself up if you forget. Try to reuse plastic containers by taking them to the butcher/fishmonger section in the supermarket (or local butcher/fishmonger if you are lucky) and get them to use your container instead of their own bags. Make the most of any refill shops around you and check out TerraCycle for schemes for recycling tricky packaging.

I'll be exploring my waste solutions in future blogs, so hang tight for more tips on how to dispose of the stuff you already have sustainably.