Not Yet Recycled
As I mentioned yesterday, I am very new to recycling. It’s just how it is — I’m doing it now. So I am suddenly taking a much greater interest in the packaging our stuff comes in. And what it says I should do with it now I have a sorting system in place in the kitchen.
And I have discovered that a huge amount of it says “Not yet recycled.”
My immediate response was that this sounded like some kind of spin. We all feel better because although it’s in no way recyclable at the moment, if we tell you it’s not YET recycled, we can all benefit from the warm glow that someone, somewhere is bound to be working on it.
Turns out, of course, it’s more complicated than that. And actually more optimistic than Not Yet Recycled initially seems to imply.
The gist of it is that the environmental impact of packaging happens throughout its lifetime, not just at the end. Some times the decision is taken that although the benefits of, for example, mixed materials packaging, make it difficult to recycle, the characteristics make it optimal for its purpose, and the impact on the environment is less throughout its lifetime. So for example, aluminium and plastic crips packets are better for keeping your crisps fresh, and less bad for the environment than a tin can of crisps would be.*
Although Not Yet Recycled means the packaging is probably going to end up in land fill at the end of its life, it has had less impact throughout its lifetime than its more easily recycled counterpart.
So, I’ve learned something new and useful already. Though the amount of stuff going into my landfill bin bag is surprising and disturbing. I thought recycling would take care of most of it. I guess I need to start looking into how I can bring less of that packaging into our home in the first place.
* https://www.how2recycle.info/news/2016/the-story-behind-packaging-thats-not-yet-recycled
