What Are the Forthcoming Changes That Will Affect the World’s Recycling?

Recycling isn’t a short term fix.

Recycling our resources is a concept that must continue and improve long into the future if we want to ensure the preservation of our planet. While we’ve made great strides thus far, the flaws in our current recycling strategy won’t be able to support our exponentially growing population. More than ever, there is a demand for improved recycling standards.

This article is going to delve into the future. We’re going to explore the forthcoming changes being made to the world’s recycling strategy, as well as how efforts are being made — from Woodford Recycling and others — in the pursuit of a better future.

Why have we, the planet, had to change our recycling strategy?

The global population is at 7 billion and rising. The growing population will only further put a strain on our energy consumption and natural resources.

The problem is that our current recycling methods are imperfect. Many recycling facilities simply don’t have the technology to sort and retrieve recyclable items efficiently, prompting many of these items to be needlessly sent to landfill. This contributes towards the formation of various atrocities throughout nature, including the abhorrent Great Pacific garbage patch, which is currently more than double the size of Texas.

In addition, the recycling process still requires energy to operate (albeit less than would be used in the rudimentary manufacturing process). In 2014, the UK’s total carbon emissions amounted to 520.5 million tonnes, with the UK’s recycling efforts avoiding around 18 million tonnes. So while recycling is certainly helping to slow things down, carbon emissions continue to vent in their millions of tonnes per year.

As a response, the world is slowly adapting their recycling strategy. The zero waste movement has boomed in the past couple of years, with many people making greater efforts to restore and reuse items rather than recycle them. This doesn’t just remove the need for disposal to landfill, it removes the need for disposal altogether, pushing the boundaries of recycling even farther than before.

Zero waste doesn’t render recycling obsolete, however. Even if everyone were to adopt a zero waste lifestyle, reused objects would eventually falter and become unusable. It is at this point they would need to be recycled to get the best out of their primary materials. To combat the problems of our current recycling methods, we must invest in greater, more advanced recycling methods.

How are Woodford Recycling driving change?

Woodford Recycling have invested in a state-of-the-art recycling facility that combines cutting-edge machinery with the strengths of a trained human team.

Our brand new facility receives and processes all waste brought in from Cambridgeshire, Huntingdon, Peterborough and the surrounding areas. We bring in your waste and sort it using a series of advanced machines, screens and human acumen. These improvements will help us to improve our recycling rate from 85% to our aim of 100%.

What can I do to become recycling efficient?

Advanced recycling technologies are still in their infancy, and until our recycling process has dramatically improved we must focus on how to make the most of our current system.

Another reason a lot of recyclable items reach landfill needlessly is because they become contaminated by leftover food. Even leaving a single bit of pizza on a recyclable pizza box can ruin an entire batch of recyclable items. The technology needed to disinfect and recycle these items isn’t currently available, and so doing something as simple as cleaning your food jars and containers before you recycle them can make a significant difference.

Further, using a recycling company that operates with the best available technology is a top way to ensure your items are recycled successfully. Here at Woodford Recycling, we aim to recycle 100% of all the items we receive. This is in part thanks to our new materials recycling facility, and in part thanks to our dedication to staying at the forefront of the recycling industry. By choosing Woodford Recycling, you can rest assured of getting the most out of your recyclable items for now — and for the future.

To enquire further about our services, or for any information regarding our recycling facility and process, give our friendly team a call today.