Greencare - A Review

 This is my 23rd review on plastic alternatives.

Scoring system:

❤ = Will keep, I love it / 👀 = Not sure, will try some more / 😐 = Oh dear, it's not for me

Review Twenty Three - Greencare by Sainsbury's

You may not have failed to notice that these products in the Greencare range are in plastic bottles, so you may also be wondering why these are being reviewed in a 'reduce your plastics' site?

My reason for choosing this product is that it comes in a 100% recycled plastic bottle. 

For years we were recycling plastics not realising (like many) that most of it doesn't get recycled & some may even find its way abroad. This led me to start this wonderful blog & sent me on a mission to do more.

So it's great to see some companies beginning to use utilise recycled plastics which is why I have supported this. They are pretty good products and at a decent price too & I found myself switching to them with no trouble at all. E-cover for example are becoming too much out of my price range & Method can be pricey too.

For various brands that do use recycled plastics in their products check out this post at: 

https://www.lovelierplanet.com/2019/11/natural-products-in-recycled-packaging.html

Plus check out my recent post on the British Plastic Survey for statistics on recycling, shipping abroad, landfill plus incineration.

So back to Greencare, they are a range made by Sainsbury's who do washing detergent & fabric conditioner, cleaning sprays, window & floor cleaner, washing up liquids (smells lovely), dishwasher tablets and shower spray (smells scrummy too). 

When they have both price AND product mix right as well as being eco friendly then it makes me happy.

Now there is the issue of what happens to plastic when it is recycled. Can we keep it going for a long time? Well sadly it downgrades (often know as downcycling) so is not a long term solution. 

Humans need to act fast to find a better solution however we also need to find ways to use the recycled stock that we do have, to make new things, rather than relying on virgin materials (or nurdles - for more on nurdles check out my blog post on hidden plastics).

I found this article below very interesting where it discusses how different plastics are rated and how some plastics are better able to be melted than others and why it cannot be recycled an infinite number of times. Green Matters - Can You Recycle Recycled Plastic?

Also this article on downcycling is a good read: https://ailuna.com/what-is-downcycling/

For me I love the greencare range so will score it a ❤ from me.

Next I'll be reviewing the eco egg which I finally got around to purchasing. Mixed feelings about that which I will explain more in a later post.

Meanwhile, happy washing!!

Plastic Free July

 The Big Plastic Count Results Are In!

Just in time for Plastic Free July, the Big Plastic Count results are in. A survey was sent out to interested hosueholds in May 2022. Published by Greenpeace & Every Day Plastic, the results of the survey are indeed very shocking. 

Some takeaway nuggets include:

🌍  Nearly a quarter of a million people (248,957) from 97,948 UK households took part in the biggest ever Plastic Count Survey.

🌍 On average, each household threw away 66 pieces of plastic packaging in one week, which amounts to an estimated 3,432 pieces a year.

🌍 Over a million pieces of plastics were counted from fruit & veg packaging whilst over a million more made up of snack bags, packets and wrappers.

🌍 The majority of these types of plastics (57%) are soft plastics which are less likely to be recycled.

🌍 The survey found that just 12% of the type of plastics discarded will likely be recycled in the UK whilst 17% shipped abroad, 25% could end up in landfill whilst 46% be incinerated.*

🌍 The UK is the 2nd worse country for plastic waste per capita after the USA and is almost double the weight than plastic waste generated in Italy.

*Different local authorities handle recycling in different ways so there's some level of guesswork involved but the calculations were based on types of plastics being discarded in the week (a tick off chart helped categorise what was being used, ie cartons, peelable lids, trays, wrappers etc and also categories for food, personal products (for body washing etc) & household products such as cleaning sprays & wash tabs etc etc.)

🌍 They concluded that 62% of the pieces of plastic recorded in the count are either not collected or poorly collected for recycling by UK local authorities, and likely to end up in landfill or incinerated.

🌍 Incinerating plastics cause way more pollution/carbon emissions than burning coal & releases toxic fumes into the environment.

🌍 Landfilling meanwhile releases methane & ethylene into the atmosphere as the plastics are broken down (if the landfill is exposed to the elements), coupled with microplastics being carried by wind.

This highlights the need for much better investment in recycling products, reducing single used products & encouraging a deposit scheme for return of plastic bottles as an urgent requirement. The government discussed previously a deposit return scheme however a scheme has yet to be implemented.

Also a bigger look at circular economy would be a help, for instance Mother Nature has far less waste, what is no longer needed goes back into the system and used by some of other part of the eco system. Humans have a much more linear system, make something, use it, discard it, buy another and so on. 

We need to be more forward thinking rather than letting waste pile up to the point where we can no longer live due to all the products we rely on (meat, plants, water, air) becoming too polluted to rely on. Many would say we are already past the tipping point.

A thorough report of the Big Plastic Count is available at: 
https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Final-Big-Plastic-Count-Results-Report-V2.pdf 

So how did I do? 

I've been trying to reduce plastics for a number of years and have been recycling plastics since the late 80s/early 90s. Even so, my weekly plastic tally came to 40 plastic items. 

A portion of these items are re-used as we wash out plastic bottles for making our own fizzy drinks, using a ginger beer plant as a base plus plastic ziplock bags are used for disposing of cat litter. 

The majority of plastic products I buy have recycled content in them, however 40 items was still shocking to me - this is under the national average but it's still too much.

Some useful links for you:

🌍 5 Surprising Things from the Household Plastic Count
https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/5-surprising-things-we-learned-from-the-biggest-ever-household-plastic-count/

🌍 Government on the Next Steps to Tackle Plastic Waste
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/next-steps-to-tackle-plastic-waste

🌍 Dame Ellen MacCarthur Foundation - A Circular Economy to Encourage Less Waste
https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/

🌍 Greenpeace, Plastic Questions Answered
https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/challenges/plastic-pollution/

🌍 Books on Plastic Waste for Adults
https://www.lovelierplanet.com/2019/12/plastic-free-books.html

🌍 Eco Friendly Books for Children
https://www.lovelierplanet.com/2020/01/eco-friendly-books-for-children.html

Festive Dreamin'

Reducing Our Carbon Footprint This Christmas

This time of year can be joyous but can also be stressful, not only for us but also for the planet. Thrown away toys, unwanted gifts, plastic packaging, excess food waste, the list goes on. But we can do better. Here’s some thoughts on how to reduce our use of resources AND make ourselves feel better at the same time!

Reduce – it’s so easy to get into the habit of excess buying. A poster on a forum had some good ideas. Buy your child something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read.

For older members of the family maybe set a limit so you don’t feel you have to spend lots, no more than a tenner perhaps. Or make your own items that they enjoy like bath salts for a bath enthusiast or your own biccies for that someone with a sweet tooth. Try these 100 Homemade Gift Ideas for some inspiration.

If you do buy gifts, why not buy from a charity shop catalogue, you know your gifts are also helping charity, or look to sponsor an animal maybe.

To reduce food waste keep an eye on use buy dates. Best before dates are usually safe (even after the date) but use by dates you want to keep an eye on. I try to write on a white board which things need eating as a reminder or bundle left overs in the freezer for later in the week.

Food waste can often be composted but it does produce methane, a greenhouse gas so reducing waste can reduce our carbon footprint.

There are some food waste apps that help to reduce waste you can try.

Check my reviews for some eco products too for some ideas of less wasteful products to try or check out some of our home made items for sale.

Reuse – it’s OK to reuse old wrapping paper, or even use brown wrapping paper tied in string. You can find ways to brighten it up. Be creative and inventive! 

Try this site for some eco friendly gift wrapping ideas.

Recycle – frustrating I know, we try so hard to recycle but it can be very complicated. To get an idea of what recycling symbols mean check out our blog post.

RecycleNow is also a great site to guide you along the way.

For anything tricky to recycle like toothpaste tubes and cat food pouches, take a look at Terracycle to see if there’s a recycling point near you.

Rekindle – is there an old hobby you lost sight of? Maybe a favourite walk you used to do you haven’t done in a while? It’s OK to take time to do more for Planet You. 

There’s no point running around totally stressed out and have little time for you. If you have a large bunch of people young and old to cater for, work out which jobs folks love to do best and play on their strengths. It’s less of a task if you enjoy it!

Recoup – let’s face it, some of the best things in life are free. Fresh air, warming sun, crispy leaves, trickling water – if you have access to these things enjoy them. I love a nice walk on a cold crisp day at Christmas. Even better when you can snuggle up when you get home!

Rejoice – Grab ya fave music, radio is usually free and lifts your spirits. Or grab that book you never got around to reading. Why not check out our list of eco friendly books too? 

Instead of full throttle take a step out and breathe a little. (Believe me, this is something I have to remind myself to do regularly). 

If you’re feeling bad about reducing your gifting this Christmas, take a look at Martin Lewis’ tips on why it makes sense to take a step back. 

Check out too this lovely idea of the repair shop for preloved teddies. They deserve some love too! 

Happy Christmas!

🎄
🎄🎄🎄

Useful links for an eco friendly Christmas:

Green Christmas
Less Waste at Xmas
Have an Eco Christmas

🎄Homemade Items for Sale🎄

Green Wash and Wish Cycling

What the Heck is Green washing?

No I haven't made these terms up!

Per Wikipedia, based on the term whitewash, 'greenwashing' was coined in a 1986 essay regarding the hotels practice of placing placards in each room, promoting reuse of towels ostensibly to "save the environment." 

Author Westervelt noted that in most cases, little or no effort toward reducing energy waste was being made by these institutions. More money or time [may have] been spent advertising being "green" than is actually spent on environmentally sound practices.

An example of this practise is Kimberly Clark's claim of "Pure and Natural" diapers in green packaging. It gives consumers a sense that it is purely natural from the brand name. The product uses organic cotton on the outside, however they keep the same petrochemical gel on the inside.

In 2018, in response to increased calls for banning plastic straws, Starbucks introduced a new straw-less lid that actually contained more plastic by weight than the old straw and lid combination.

More on these plus references at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing

I got Tripped up Too!

I fell into this trap myself during my experiment to reduce or replace 50 single use items for my 50th year on this planet. 

I bought some teeth flossing harps (called floss picks) that were touted as mainly made from corn starch material. In fact when you look at the package it says corn starch in big letters. It was only after I'd ordered them did I realise only 40% was corn starch, the rest was PP (Polypropylene) materials (on the packet I bought), I've seen others say PLA plastics.

On their own website it says:

'Our floss picks are made primarily from corn-starch but are not fully compostable. In time, we hope to be able to find a solution to ensure the firmness and quality of the floss pick handle with a fully compostable material.'

This is not mentioned on the listing details so unless you dig through the FAQ you wouldn't even realise. Many folks reviewing the product are delighted they have found a fully natural and compostable product when in fact it is neither of those things!

Also the flossing part itself is made from nylon (they say for their bamboo toothbrushes for instance that nylon bristles should be removed before disposal).

The Good and Bad.. 

For me I do love that companies big or small are looking for ways to move away from petro chemical based plastics. BUT we have to be careful that folks are not being misled into thinking their product can be thrown into the compost bin which could then contaminate good compost material. I would assume industrial composters sift out final product anyway so it may be removed eventually, but I don't like the idea of plastics sitting in compost material leaching chemicals when we're trying desperately to keep fragments of plastics away from the natural environment.

It may also encourage consumers to choose one product over another believing they are doing right for the planet thereby giving the companies that do use greenwashing techniques the upper hand. Oh they do love a gullible consumer!

Do I Have any Solutions? 

Not really, other than be informed, look for alternatives and reduce your waste. You will be tripped up from time to time. If the companies aren't honest, for instance putting corn starch in big letters at the front when you realise it's only 40% corn starch which you don't see until you look at the back after purchase, I would say this is misleading. Even more misleading when the company does not give you the option to take a look at the back of the packet on their website, or at least paste their FAQ in the buying section to let consumers be aware of what they're buying and how to dispose of it properly!

Here's a wee video on greenwashing if you have a spare moment..

 

What is Wishcycling?

According to Recycle Nation 'Wishcycling is the process of putting items in a recycling bin instead of the trash even if you’re not sure whether they are recyclable or not.'

Seems pretty harmless right? Surely someone somewhere will figure out what to do with it! Trouble is, recycling machines notoriously get tangled up. 

Loose plastic bags for example don't want to be in with the plastics recycling, they are better off being dropped off at your local supermarket bag collection point where they can turn them into new bags. 

Meanwhile card items covered in grease (say from a pizza) may end up contaminating paper stock making a batch worthless. 

Recycling centres do have staff that help to sift through some of the stuff and machines can hep sift through others but due to the sheer volume some items can get missed and end up contaminating a whole batch.

What about Biodegradeable?

Another example is the introduction of biogradeable or compostable plastic. Recycle Now site says these should not be added to supermarket bag recycling. (A list of what can and can't be recycled can be found here.) So the consumer is mighty confused as to what goes where.

They say, 'Only non-biodegradable plastic can be recycled, regardless of whether it is fossil-based or bio-based. Compostable plastics can be composted at industrial scale composting facilities, so you can put these in with your green waste but only if it goes to one of these facilities - your council will be able to tell you where your green waste goes. 

'Compostable plastics should not go in with your dry recycling as they cannot be recycled in the same way as non-biodegradable plastic.'

Recycle Now site is a great resource to help you find what can and can't be recycled in your local area.

https://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-knowledge/how-is-it-recycled/plastics

Be a Recycling Detective

I guess we need to do our own research, for instance, I had been throwing tetrapacks regularly into our household recycling bins for collection only to find out our local sorting centre doesn't even process them. 

Tetrapacks were not shown in the picture of our laminated card sent out by the council on what can be recycled which made me wonder. I enquired and was told, no, we don't take any carton packs at all. That was news to me! So finally I got the right product in the right place after a bit of research and found a local drop off point for Tetrapak cartons. 

Other areas meanwhile may have no problem with tetrapak being picked up by household collection. My mum's laminated guide sheet in a different area, lists tetrapacks as a collected item. So the consumer has to be vigilant and try and figure it all out. What is the norm for collection in one area maybe different to another.

Should I Still Bother?

I really think it is still worth recycling, the points above are not meant to put any of you off. 

But as the saying always goes, 'It's not easy being green!' A bit of detective work maybe required. Keep on keeping on. After all, the planet is in your hands!

Check out our other posts too: 

Is Paper or Plastic Best? / What does PLA mean? / Recycling Symbols Explained

Positive Eco News

Optimism for the New Year! 

I’d like to wish you all a Happy & Prosperous 2020. Here’s a great chance to reflect back on some positive news in & around the UK. 

It hopefully will keep us all going – the planet can heal itself, it just needs some TLC! 

Top 20 Feel Good Stories

1. Milkmen are making a comeback. In a bid to save the use of throw away plastic milk bottles, consumers are looking for glass milk bottles instead. 

2. The Woodland Trust with Chris Packham managed to reach their target to help plant 100,000 trees. There are free trees available for schools & local communities at
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/schools-and-communities/

3. Zero waste shops are popping up across the UK. See here for a map. Some milk refill stations & refills for body care & laundry care liquids are also available. This site has a great list of where to buy zero waste products or where you can refill your own.

4. People are having a Greener Christmas now and are aiming for Less Waste over Christmas.

5. Supermarkets are taking notice. There’s still a huge way to go though - supermarkets MUST try harder, however they have made a start & consumers have too. See my article on supermarket waste for more. 

6. Scientists are looking at plastic alternatives. For example a scientist has been looking at fish scales as a plastic substitute. 

7. There is a bigger trend of blogs such as this & multiple face book groups are popping up to help bring people together to exchange ideas. It’s great to see this trend continue now & long into the future. 

8. In April 2022 the UK government plan to introduce a plastic packaging tax. As a result manufacturers are already using some recycled content in their packaging (see my post on some products in recycled packaging).

9. Plastic free tea bags are also more widely available (see my article on plastics in tea!)

10. Some great products are coming out including bamboo toilet roll which is now available in paper packaging, plus tissues using recycled sugar cane, wheat germ plates, coconut shell bowls, avocado pit cutlery, bamboo toothbrushes & so much more. 

You can even get packaging made from mushrooms. Green Jiffy envelopes are also available which are stuffed with recycled wood fibre. See my reviews section for some items I’ve been testing – more to come throughout the year. 

11. Instead of being shipped abroad, more plastics are now being handled in the UK. Some un-recyclable waste has even been incinerated & the fuel generated helps to run the plastic recycling plants. 

12. Terracycle which originated in the US has expanded rapidly in the UK providing recycling points for some products that could not be regularly recycled. Examples included crisp packets & cat food pouches, toothpaste tubes & more. Some air ambulance services are able to raise funds using recycling points across the UK (see my article for more).

13. The WWF are re-planting seagrass meadows around the UK. This will help with carbon absorption & provide a much better environment for sea creatures to hide. 

14. Meadow flowers are being planted along road sides to help encourage more insects (need some bee pelican crossings though!)

15. Boats like the Poly Roger made from scavenged plastics have been used to collect plastic waste in rivers & waterways.

16. Beach cleanups are becoming more popular with many dates announced throughout the year. 

17. Beavers are being re-introduced back into Britain to help stem the problem of flood water. Water voles are making a comeback too with lottery funding.

18. Etsy has exploded with the amount of sellers some of who make their own plastic free products. Check out this article showcasing some of the home selling entrepreneurs.

19. More & more books are being published to help us learn how to reduce our plastic consumption & deal with waste more effectively. 

20. The song The World is in Danger was released by an 8 year old child Frankie Morland to raise money for the WWF & increase awareness of the problems of waste. You can buy the single in various ways using the following link.

For more lovely news check out our Lovelier News post from 2019!

Products in Recycled Packaging

A Look at Three Natural Products with 100% Recycled Plastics

As part of my aim to reduce single use plastics I have been diligently been making my own products. From homemade liquid soap to almond milk to orange cleaning spray - I have been having great fun doing these projects. 

For those who don't fancy the thought of DIY there are some great natural products out there you can use, which are also environmentally friendly.

There are no affiliated links below - all the products have been used by me (even before I started on the plastic reduction journey, as I find natural products more pleasurable to use). I do hope you enjoy trying some out for yourself too!

Wild Rhubarb Anti-Bacterial Spray

Method Cleaning Spray

I started using Method cleaning sprays for kitchen and bathroom some years ago. I now make my own orange vinegar spray but you do sometimes find, with home made products, that you have to let them soak in for several minutes to do their work. 

Commercial sprays though can work their magic quicker so occasionally I do still use them from time to time. I love that Method have so many different choices of spray with natural plant based ingredients, including sunny citrus, water mint and clementine. My fave at the moment is rhubarb (see left). 

In 2008, Method began to make bottles from 100 percent post-consumer recycled plastic, and in 2012, the company joined forces with Ecover, to create the world’s largest green cleaning company.

I think that from their humble beginnings in 2000, as two lads who wanted to make a huge difference, they have gone leaps and bounds. Method can be brought from several supermarkets and online stores. 

For a list of suppliers go to: https://methodproducts.co.uk/find-a-store/.

Ecover

Ecover is a great product that was founded in Belgium in 1979. They do dishwasher, laundry and household cleaning products. What I love most is their innovation. For example, they produce a washing up bottle made from 50% recycled ocean plastic waste from Brazil and 50% post consumer plastic. That equals 100% recycled waste plastic being used.

But have you seen this? A new product that uses waste from the Belgian beer brewing industry. It's limited edition so keep an eye out for it. 

From their web site 'This innovative new washing up liquid is created using at least 25% of waste ingredients leftover from the beer brewing process (water and ethanol), the bottle is made of 100% post-consumer recycled plastic and the cap is made of 50% post-consumer recycled plastic.

Available at Whole Foods, Amazon, Ocado from 16th September 2019.

Ecover (the one on the left made from ocean plastics)
Scrubbies cloth at the front can be found in my reviews section.

Even though I now use soap nuts for my laundry plus home made vinegar spray for the clothes conditioner, I do still occasionally use ecover for my clothes. Especially for delicate washes as they have a wash detergent suitable for woollens. 

I also like their dishwasher tablets that come in a card box. A shame that each tablet comes in a plastic wrapper though so for the moment I switched to Ecoleaf which has a dissolvable wrapper.

Ecover is widely available in supermarkets. There are also some refill stations you can try (see link below)
https://www.ecover.com/retailers-independents-refill-stations/.

It's wonderful to see that Ecover in their factory diverts 98.1% of its waste from landfill and aim to be achieve zero waste within the next few years. I find it so lovely that their factory has meadow flowers alongside too, how awesome is that? (See zero waste link for info).

Love Beauty and Planet

I can't go without giving a huge shout out to my newest favourite, Love Beauty and Planet. They produce hair and shower products with natural plant based origin in 100% post consumer recycled plastic bottles. 

I absolutely love the Muru Muru Butter and Rose Shower Gel. Smells a bit like buttery rose on warm babies heads. My new found fetish is to sniff the wash cloth on the way past as it smells so yummy (that's maybe too much information!)

The coconut shower gel and shampoo is more subtle but makes my hair feeling quite light afterwards. You may notice a greyish tint to the bottles and they can sometimes buckle. This is due to the high recycled content in the plastics. It's a small price to pay and when you're trying to reduce use of single use plastics, it's great to know your bottle had a previous life!

I'm currently using soaps and shampoo bars to cut down on plastics but I do sometimes switch to this product, to get a fix of that Muru Butter and Rose scent, umm, lovely!!

Check out their FAQ for a list of where to buy Love Beauty and Planet.

My fave shower gel!

💦 Check out my latest review on Sainsbury's Greencare Products 💦

Recycling Codes Explained

Are Recycling Codes in Plastic Packaging Confusing?

I have been recycling for years, since way back when you had to drive to the nearest recycling point, long before curbside collections became a common sight. I always thought I was doing the right thing but even now I keep discovering new things that I didn’t know.

I recently learned for example, that tetrapaks are not recycled by our local council. I examined the laminated card sent out by the council and realised that no cartons were on the diagram. A quick email later confirmed that no, they don’t take tetrapaks or any other cartons at all.

Tetrapaks are a mix of plastics, aluminium and card stock which is why only specialist collectors will take them. Some councils may send them off to these specialist centres (my mother’s council does take tetrapaks for example), however ours don’t so we have to take them to a home recycling centre where they can be picked up from there. 

Plastic Free Veg!

This excellent BBC article ‘Why plastic recycling is so confusing’ shows that councils can differ across the UK in which items are taken for recycling. They say that whilst some councils will collect most types of plastic packaging, two councils (at the time of writing) collect none at all (Rotherham and Tonbridge).

99% of households have their detergent, shampoo bottles, milk and drink bottles collected whilst only 74% of households have their tubs, tray and yogurt pots collected. Carrier bags are at 18% and cling film and food bags only around the 10% mark.

Terracycle are a great resource for finding local drop offs for some of the more difficult to recycle items such as cat food pouches and crisp packets. See my article for more information. 

How to Recycle

Recycling can be quite an effort depending on where you are but still worth it, as long as you can work out what can be recycled (check with your local council if you are unsure, many have recycling cards delivered to each household, plus they often have guides online or an FAQ section – if not send them a quick email with any questions).

Recycle Now has some tips on recycling plastic bottles:

* Replace lids and tops. If they stay on the container they will get recycled [worth checking with your council though, as our local council prefers caps to be removed first]. 

* Empty and rinse bottles as left over foods or liquids can contaminate other recyclables. Bottles containing liquid may not be recycled, as can be too heavy for the automated sorting process. Liquid can also damage the machinery.

* Squash bottles to save space and leave on labels as these will be removed in the process.

Plastic Recycling Symbols Guide

To help us figure out what’s what when we recycle here’s a mini guide.

This article will cover just plastic recycling codes, compostable and bio-degradeable products I will cover in a future article..

 Green Dot – 2 circular arrows, sometimes green, sometimes black - this is probably the symbol that causes the most confusion. It doesn’t necessarily mean it is recyclable, but more that the manufacturer contributes financially to remove or recycle packaging in Europe. Per Wikipedia ‘The Green Dot logo merely indicates that a company has joined the Green Dot scheme, and not necessarily that the package is fully recyclable.’

 Mobius Loop – The 3 chasing triangular arrows - this means it IS capable of being recycled but may depend on local facilities. If there is a percentage figure in the middle it may mean x % has been made from recycled materials.

 A Single Circular Arrow may say ‘Widely Recycled’ in green, or ‘Check Local Kerbside' (recyclable at household recycling centres but may need to check whether it's picked up by council kerbside collection, Tetrapaks for example). 

Or you may see 'Recycle with Bags at Larger Stores'. These include kitchen/loo roll wraps and bread bags. The bags can block recycling centre conveyor belts so best sorted with carrier bags in the supermarket bag collection bin. 

Recycle Now site lists types of bags you can recycle (note biodegradeable/compostable bags are not accepted). You can also drop your bubble wrap at bag recycling places too.
 Not Recycled Symbol - The symbol may say ‘Not Yet Recycled’ in black (such as found on crisp packets).

 Plastic Resin Codes – The resin code number inside the triangles can help workers at the recycling centre sort types of plastic (although they usually go by eye depending on type of container). Some recycling centres have machines that can scan the codes also to separate the recyclables from the non recyclables.

Resin Codes Explained

The numbered codes can be broken down as follows (some plastics are much more readily recycled than others) : 

1 – PET or PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate, also known as Polyester). The most commonly recycled product. Usually clear plastic for making water and soft drinks bottles. It withstands heat and can be used also in microwavable meal trays.

When recycled it can be turned into fleece jackets, carpet fibre, tote bags, plastic sheeting or turned back into bottles. 

The new kid on the block rPET is made using recycled plastic bottles.

2 – HDPE (High Density Polyethylene). Transulcent bottles which are ideal for short shelf life such as milk. Also used for chemicals including wash detergents and bleach. Can be used for shampoo bottles or cereal box liners. It can be made relatively stiff with high strength so also suitable for making cable covers.

In recycled form it can be used to make more detergent, shampoo bottles etc or used for making outdoor decking, fencing and recycled plastic picnic tables. Also flower pots, pipes, buckets and recycling bins.

3 – PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride, also known as Vinyl). Can be rigid or flexible and has good weather and chemical resistance. Often used for double glazed window frames. Can be used as shrink wrap or meat wraps, blood bags, medical tubing, pipes, fencing, decking, flooring and cable insulation.

Recycled materials can be used for fencing, floor tiles, cassette cases, traffic cones, gutters, garden hoses, sheeting and loose leaf binders.

4- LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene). Tough, flexible and relatively clear. Useful for flexible lids, toys, squeezy bottles and cables. Can be used in dry cleaning bags or bread bags, or packaging on frozen foods or fresh produce. Plus household bin bags. Coatings on coffee cups or paper milk cartons.

Recycled it can be used in shipping envelopes, floor tiles, compost bins, outdoor wood alternatives and bin liners.

5- PP (Polypropylene). Strong with high melting point so good for hot beverages. Also moulded parts for automotives. Useful for yogurt pots, margarine tubs and takeout food trays. Plus medicine bottles and bottle tops/caps and carpeting.

Recycled materials can be used for car batteries, brooms and brushes, garden rakes, storage bins, shipping pallets and trays.

6 – PS (Polystyrene). Can be rigid or foam with low melting point. Useful for food containers eg meat trays plus disposable cups, compact disc cases and aspirin bottles. Also as foam packaging for electrical products and also used in toys, building insulation and coat hangers.

Recycled it can be used for insulation, thermometers, light switch plates, vents, rulers, video cassette cases, egg shell cartons or expandable polystyrene (EPS) foam packaging.

7- Other. Can be made from different materials to the above or made from multiple layered resins.

Recycled items can be made into large bottles or plastic wood alternatives such as decking. 

Summary

According to the BBC article on plastics, resin codes 1, 2 and 5 are the most commonly recycled materials, resin code 4 sometimes recycled and 3, 6 and 7 almost never. Clear bottles are the most easily recycled and attract the best prices. Coloured plastics are less desirable and polystyrene is rarely recycled.

For a more detailed breakdown of each code check out this useful guide: Plastic Resin Codes PDF by the American Chemistry Council.

Recycling does seem to be an art form but it is great to see more and more products now being recycled and it’s even better to see products more widely available, utilising post consumer recycled plastics, on supermarket shelves. 

It's also good to see a British company using electricity generated from burning landfill waste to help power a recycling sorting centre. See our Lovelier Planet News post for more! ❤

Schools Single Use Plastics

How our Schools are Tackling Plastics

Plastics are all around us - synthetic clothes including polyester fleeces; polymer based UK bank notes; packaging from crisp packets to cat food pouches and straws. Some types of wrapping paper have plastic in them too (the type that springs back when you scrunch it).

Tetrapak drink cartons are made of card, aluminium and plastics, and chewing gum as well as glitter can also be a problem with hidden plastics within.

Many of these aren’t even recyclable, although Terracycle has a useful tool, to help you locate where you can send or drop off non recyclables, such as toothpaste tubes, pringle tubs and more.

Some places take crisp packets to help raise funds for charity, for example the Air Ambulance service in Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Wiltshire Air Ambulance & Scottish Air Ambulance service also have recycling schemes too, so check out your local Air Ambulance site. Other areas may have something similar and will help them make money in the process.

It’s an everyday struggle to reduce our plastic consumption, but for the health of the planet we really do need to make some changes and soon. Plastics lead to waste, and waste can be damaging to wildlife and nature, oceans and waterways and ultimately ourselves.

So what happens to all the plastics that do get recycled? 

The plastics are melted down first. Some items can be turned into clothing for instance recycled bottles can be turned into a fleece jacket or recycled plastics can be turned into new bottles. Different plastics can have different lives once they are recycled and may depend on the coded symbol at the bottom of the packet.

Recycled plastics can be turned into many other things including outdoor play areas, gardening equipment, seating and disabled access furniture. Recycled Furniture UK has a menu of different products being made out of recycled plastics, including this colourful buddy seat (a seat where children can sit and chat with others, reaching out to children who could be feeling alone).

How about the Government?

Following an open consultation, the government has announced a ban on the supply of plastic straws, drinks stirrers and cotton buds which will come into force in April 2020. (Those with medical needs or a disability though are exempted from the ban).

The government plans to introduce a new tax on plastic packaging, which doesn’t meet a minimum threshold of at least 30% recycled content, from April 2022 (subject to consultation). They are also proposing to start a new deposit return scheme for drinks containers, to help boost recycling materials and reduce littering too.

The Ministry of Justice (PDF) have confirmed their intention to ‘Meet the government-wide ban to eliminate consumer single-use plastic from our central office estate by 2020.’ This will cover reduction or elimination of single use plastics for their cleaning, office and catering supplies.

Some of Britain’s councils are aiming for a 2022 target, with the Council of Bury purporting to be the first to make positive changes. They propose to create plastic-free community spaces in parks, libraries, community and leisure centres. (Check your local council as they may have similar proposals to reduce plastic consumption in your area).

It's great to see the NHS making changes to reduce plastics in hospitals in the UK, including phasing out plastic straws, plastic cutlery and single use cups. Royal Estates are also making the pledge to reduce their plastic use.

How about Schools?

Did you know that the government have challenged schools to be plastic free by 2022?

Georgeham Primary school in Devon was one of the 1st schools to take the plastic free pledge. Marine conservation charity 'Surfers against Sewage' found the school had met 5 crucial targets, including an initial plastic audit of the school and removal of at least 3 items of single-use plastic.

Changes included ditching small milk cartons with plastic straws and plastic overwraps and replacing with much larger recyclable milk containers and use of washable beakers instead. Cling film was swapped for foil in the school canteen, and sauce sachets replaced by larger sauce bottles.

Christ’s Hospital school in West Sussex, have been working hard to promote environmental awareness. Eco-minded students have set up a ‘Refill Centre Shop’ which is open to the public at Bluecoat Sports every Tuesday between 4-5pm. Refills sold by weight (which can be placed in your own containers or use theirs) include Faith in Nature and Ecover products. What a brilliant idea!

In addition, the school provides re-usable hot/cold drinking bottles, to help students reduce their single use waste.

My old school friend who works in an International School in Bahrain, says her school has also been making a difference. 

‘Our school has lots of recycling bins. We no longer provide paper cups at the water dispensers and our caterers minimise their plastic usage. Meeting sustainability targets is part of our school development plans. Our Eco club does regular beach cleans too.’

Here’s a story that will touch your heart. 

A teacher, who works at a small independent school sent this lovely message:

‘I introduced recycling to the school I teach and work at. In September (2019), I spoke to my students about climate change, recycling and the war against plastic. They told me, “well the planets ruined anyway”.

'A recycling centre was created in the kitchen and we are ordering recycling sorters for each classroom, each with simple easy signs (created by the students). There are new positions for each student to do their bit and become a green ambassador for the school.

‘Today in art the students created posters around reduce, repurpose and recycle to place around the school. The beautiful moment was when I played David Attenborough’s speech on plastic, to the sounds of them saying “oh that guy is a legend”.

‘It soon tumbled into videos they had seen of marine life that had ingested plastic with a response of shock and horror. All of a sudden they understood how and why. 30 minutes later the students were mapping out how they could reduce plastic on the white board. 

'It was so lovely to see them inspired and looking for the next thing we could do as a school to do our bit for the planet.’ 

‘We have managed to reduce our black bag waste from 15+ bags a week to 3 for the whole school- and we are still going. We are also planning a trip to the seaside for the students to take part in a beach clean up. Their responses have been amazing particularly around ideas to repurpose waste such as saving our toilet roll tubes and making eco friendly crackers for our school Christmas meal.’

What a wonderful thing to see that children can enjoy coming together and hopefully this post will show them that adults are trying to make a difference too. Well done to each and everyone who are running eco clubs or getting involved in recycling and beach clean ups too. 

The planet gives you a big thumbs up! 👍👍

How are Supermarkets doing?

Supermarkets have signed up to the UK Plastics Pact to reduce or eliminate the sale of some single use items, including cotton buds and straws. Much more is being done but advancements can differ between supermarkets. Details of the some of the changes being made can be found in my recent blog post ‘Supermarket Sweep’.

Shoppers are also seeking zero waste (plastic free stores) for their shopping needs. The beeswax wrap company offer a useful map on how to find some of your local plastic free stores.

Finally, what alternatives can I buy? 

Eco friendly biodegradable glitter, plastic free chewing gum , non plastic lunch boxes, re-usable drink bottles are just some examples to try. 

You can also look out for bamboo plates and dishes for toddlers.

Green companies are popping up more regularly including this nappy recycling service in Wales. The 1st nappy recycling service launched in 2012 was unveiled by a council based in Cheshire. Another company recycles nappies collected from nurseries and childcare facilities in the UK.

Collectively more is being done Nationwide and although challenging we can collectively (and individually) make a difference. To help feel better about how advances are being made, check out our recent post ‘LovelierPlanet News’.

❤ Together we can turn our 'plastic planet' back into a blue or green one, for us all to enjoy! 

👍If you're a teacher, pupil or parent check out some useful links below

Useful links for schools:

• Surfers Against Sewage – More on the Plastic Free Schools Initiative
• Less Plastic Org – How to Reduce Plastics in Your School
• Plastic Free Schools – Useful Tips including what other Schools are Doing
• Tree Tools for Schools (Woodland Trust) - Order Tree Packs & Download Lesson Plans
• Guide to a PVC Free School (PDF) – Suitable for Older Children/Teachers/Parents
• Plastic Free Lesson Plan – Lesson Plan from the UK Beeswax Wrap Company
• Planet Pals (USA) – Lots of Useful Lesson Ideas for School / Home School Projects
• 10 Things you Can’t Put in Recycling – Includes a Useful Quiz at Bottom of Article
• BBC News Round – What is the Problem with Plastic? Includes Video Report
• Recycle Now – Video on How Recycling is Sorted + What to Recycle in the UK