Recycling has become part of our collective consciousness now. Whether it is sorting out our household waste into different containers or choosing products with recyclable packaging, the vast majority of us have gotten used to the idea. But did you know there are two other steps you should take before recycling that have an even bigger benefit to the environment?
In 2011 the UK government produced the Waste Hierarchy. This was a list of 5 priorities and was written into law as the regulated order in which we should handle our waste. You might be surprised to learn that, of the 5 steps listed, recycling only came third. So what is better than recycling?
- Reduce
It sounds so obvious, but it takes practice to get into the mindset of this. If we consume less material, there is less to recycle and less is taken from the environment in the first place. You will have seen companies trying to adhere to this even if you weren’t aware of it. Next time you are in your local supermarket, look for products that tell you they have been made with less packaging.
- Re-Use
Reusable products are critical in the fight against climate change. This means looking for reusable options wherever you can, but it also means thinking about each item before you throw it away. If it is empty, can it be repurposed? If it is broken, can it be repaired? Can it be broken up into separate pieces or materials that can themselves be re-used?
- Recycle
Only now do we get to recycling, when we are left with an item that we needed to use but which can no longer be used for anything else. Only at this point do we start to think about turning this waste into new substances or products.
The final two stages in the Waste Hierarchy are Recovery where items that can’t be recycled are used to generate energy and finally, Disposal where none of the other steps are possible and the material has to be buried in landfill or incinerated.
As you can see, Recycling is valuable, but we have a responsibility, particularly when working as part of a large organisation, to assess the first two stages before resorting to recycling. In a large NHS Trust such as ours, this requires innovative thinking and leadership in terms of spotting where those reductions can be made and identifying opportunities to find reusable alternatives to the products we need.
For more advice and guidance on thinking sustainably, follow us on social media and look out for upcoming webinar on Sustainable Thinking. And in the meantime, why not check out some of our reusable products such as reusable PPE and Pathisol cleaning solution.
