Ten facts about recycling

Putting out a recycling box or bag with the weekly rubbish collection has become second nature for many of us. If you know anyone who’s still throwing paper, plastic, cans or glass in with their rubbish, then see what they make of these facts about rubbish and recycling in the UK:

1. Each UK household produces more than a tonne of rubbish each year.

2. In less than 2 hours the UK produces enough waste to fill the Albert Hall.

3. Over the course of a year, the average dustbin contains enough unrealised energy to provide hot baths for 500 people.

4. Just one recycled aluminium can saves enough energy to run a television set for three hours.

5. Glass can be recycled again and again without losing its clarity or purity.

6. 13 billion plastic carrier bags are used in the UK each year.

7. On average, each person in the UK uses more than 200 kg of paper per year.

8. Recycling aluminium requires only 5% of the energy it takes to make new aluminium and produces only 5% of the CO2 emissions.

9. We use around 12.5 billion steel cans every year and nearly 10 billion of these still go to landfill.

10. If all the aluminium drinks cans sold in the UK were recycled, refuse collectors would have 14 million fewer full dustbins to empty each year.

You can find more facts like these on the Recycle Now website, which also has a handy tool to find out where you can recycle in your area.