Recycling and the use of renewable energy sources has recently become popular in the mainstream. With people now more aware than ever of their reliance of environmentally damaging fossil fuels and packaging materials, people are eager to reduce their carbon footprints wherever they can. Below you will find a number of facts about why recycling and using renewable energy is a great idea!
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Glass Facts
- Glass can be recycled constantly; practically forever! When glass is recycled it doesn’t wear down, meaning the same glass material can be recycled numerous times. This means in several decades time there could be very old glass still in circulation in modern products. Most glass bottles and jars are made from at least 25% recycled material.
- For every tonne of glass recycled, over a tonne of other resources are saved, including sand, soda ash, limestone and feldspar.
- You could light a 25watt energy saving light bulb for 16 hours by using the energy saved from recycling a single glass bottle.
Metal Facts
- In the USA, the amount of steel discarded every year is enough to build all American made cars for that year.
- In the UK alone, the metal recycling industry employs over 8,000 people. Globally, over 400 million tonnes of metal is recycled each year!
- Nearly half (42%) of all new steel is made with recycled material.
- With 39% of all new aluminium being made from recycled material, and energy saving of 95% is achieved!
Plastic Facts
- 92% of all UK based local authorities offer plastic bottle collection facilities. This means that is extremely convenient for UK home owners to recycle they’re waste plastic.
- When plastic is recycled, it is sorted, shredded, washed, melted, and pelletised or moulded in to its new form.
- The benefits of recycling plastic are numerous: fossil fuels are conserved, energy is saved, less solid waste goes to the landfill site, and carbon dioxide emissions are reduced.
Solar Energy Facts
- There are two main types of solar panel; Photovoltaic and Solar Thermal. Photovoltaic panels create energy when sunlight photons hit the panel, moving electrons in the material. Solar Thermal panels use the heat from the sun to heat water and other liquids.
- Some of the largest solar energy plants in the world use solar thermal panels, as opposed to photovoltaic panels.
- Many governments offer home and business owners incentives to install solar panels, including cash back schemes, feed-in tariffs, subsidies and reimbursements.
- Solar Panels usually increase the value of the property they are installed on. This is due to the property having lower energy costs due to the creation of its own energy via the solar panels.
- Solar panels are even installed on cars; since 1985 there have been solar powered car racese. The World Solar Car Challenge is one of the most well known.
These are just a few facts the many about sustainability, recycling and solar energy. The world of recycling is vast, and people should be encouraged to improve their local and global environment by embracing recycling and investing in renewable energy! Even small changes can make a huge impact.
