Recycling at Home: What You Can Be Doing to Help
12 September 2017
If we want to become a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly community, we all must do our part. This starts at the very early stages of production, however, at every stage of a product’s life, we need to consider how we can contribute positively to helping the environment.
Western Australians, on a per capita basis, not only produce the most waste but also recycle the least in Australia*. These shocking statistics show that we are simply not doing enough to lower our negative environmental impact. The good news is, there are some easy and efficient ways to fix this.
Time for A Big Spring Clean Before Christmas
Christmas is fast approaching and as we enter spring, now is the perfect time to do a big house clean-up. It’s important to consider the environmental impact when cleaning out your old possessions. Take your time and focus on how you can clean your house in an environmentally-friendly way.
- Sort Your Old Items
When looking through your old items, think about whether you may be able to repurpose or reuse it rather than simply throwing it away. Sort your waste material into a few piles including recyclables, solid waste and reusable / repurpose materials.
At Instant Waste Management, in addition to our number one priority of recycling as much waste as possible on an industrial scale at our material recovery facility, we are also committed to educating the general public on the importance of recycling to reduce landfill and on what we can all be doing at home to help the cause.
As featured in the Sunday Times Home magazine last month, our State Resource Development Manager, Jake Hickey quotes:
“Our imagination and the tools we have to rework waste materials are the only limits we have when creating something new from trash.”
Your solid waste pile should be the lowest of all piles. Nearly any item can be recycled, so think about how you can create something new from something old. You may be impressed with the ideas you come up with!
- Hire A Skip Bin
Having a spring clean at your house can often leave you with piles of rubbish and waste. To make sure it is property disposed of, consider hiring a skip bin from Instant Waste, an environmentally responsible waste management company. By hiring a skip bin from Instant Waste, you can rest assured that a clear majority of your waste won’t be going to landfill.
Be Environmentally Conscious
Being environmentally responsible takes very minimal effort, and in many cases, can save you a lot of money. Here are some great ways to reduce your environmental impact.
- Reduce
When purchasing products, look for ones that are environmentally-friendly and are made from recyclable materials.
- Reuse
Don’t throw away any products which you can reuse. Nearly every product can be used to serve a different purpose.
- Recycle
Always split your rubbish into different bins. Recycling materials are one of the best ways to reduce your effect on the environment.
- Repair
If something is broken or no longer works, try to fix it rather than throwing it away. If it can’t be fixed, maybe it could be repurposed.
- Upcycle
Be creative! By using a few different materials which you may have otherwise thrown away, you can create something spectacular. Think about using wine and beer bottles to make a chandelier, or using old shoes as plant pots.
There are some amazing free resources on the internet with brilliant repurposing and upcycling ideas. One of which is this blog over at Bored Panda. If you’re ever looking for fun time-busting family craft ideas, have a look online for more inspiration.
So, What Happens to Your Extra Waste?
Have you ever wondered what happens to your waste after the skip bin you hired is collected from your house?
We have invested heavily to create a highly efficient, state-of-the-art facility that has helped to increase the diversion rate of waste away from landfill from 70% to 80-90% plus!
Jake Hickey walks you through the step-by-step process of separating the materials in an informative behind-the-scenes video. Click here to see the video!
You can help by choosing to hire a skip bin from a responsible waste management provider – so get in touch with us today!
*Based on data sourced in 2012 Waste Authority: Western Australian Waste Strategy, pages 6-7.