Buy Right & Buy Recycled
How to help save the planet while shopping!
There are four ways that you can "Buy Right".
- Aim for less packaging.
The '3R's of Waste Minimisation' are REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE. Packaging is important as it prevents waste caused by food spoiling. But do we really need every serve to be individually wrapped and extra layers to "seel in the freshness"?
Try to avoid products that have excessive or unnecessary packaging. - Make sure that the products that you buy have recyclable packaging that can be recycled in your area.
Wherever possible choose items that come in cans, boxes or jars that can be recycled once you've used them. For example - self-saucing puddings come can come in cans and plastic tubs. Most councils collect food cans and they are fully recyclable. However, one brand of pudding comes in a plastic that is generally not collected by councils.
Think about the waste that will be generated as a result of you buying that item. - Buy products that have recycled content in their packaging.
Food cans, glass bottles, some soft drink bottles, aluminium cans and some cardboard boxes are made from recycled materials and are often recyclable after use. Choose items with this kind of packaging rather than packaging made entirely from virgin raw materials.
It's important to "buy recycled" as this creates a demand for recycled materials and keeps the recycling industries healthy financially. So support the recycling industries and buy recycled wherever possible. - Buy products made from recycled materials.
Some products are themselves made from recycled materials, not just their packaging. For example SAFE toilet tissue is made from recycled office paper.
The average Australian household uses 94 rolls of toilet paper every year. If each household substituted four rolls of ordinary toilet tissue with SAFE recycled toilet tissue an extra 10,000 tonnes of office paper could be recycled.
There are many other products that are made from recycled materials. The following is a sample of the diverse range of materials that currently contain recycled content.
Products Made From Recycled Materials
Paper Products
Paper products that may contain recycled content include:-
- newspapers
- cereal boxes
- writing paper
- fast food bags
- cardboard containers
- wrapping paper
- tissues and towels (such as SAFE toilet tissue and paper towel)
- animal bedding
- mulch
- insulation
Plastic Products
Plastic products that can be made from recycled materials include:-
- soft drink bottles
- detergent bottles
- picnic tables
- office products
- bags
- bicycle racks
- carpeting
- highlighters
- markers
- benches
- thermometers
- brooms
- t-shirts
- jackets
- compost bins & worm farms
- mobile garbage bins
- landscaping materials
Glass
Products that can be made from recycled glass include:-
- glass containers
- abrasives
- tiles
- liquid filter
- insulation materials
Steel
Various products that include recycled steel are:-
- cans
- automobiles
- refrigerators
- bicycles
- nails
- steel cans
Construction Materials
Construction materials that are made from recycled products include:-
- concrete
- bricks
- drain pipes
- fence posts and fencing
- thermal insulation
Rubber Products
Products that are made from recycled rubber include:-
- bulletin boards
- floor tiles and mats
- playground equipment
- traffic calming devices
- asphalt modifier
Transportation
Transportation uses of recycled products include:-
- anti-freeze
- retread tyres
- re-refined oil
