“How dare you!” Famous phrase spoken by teen climate activist Greta Thunberg. That moment witnessed live by the world was a defining moment on the importance of recycling.
Regardless of which side of the climate-change divide you stand, you will agree that recycling is important if we want to continue to survive on our planet. Everyone needs to play a role. Collectively, we can make a difference.
You don’t have to be Greta Thunberg to change the world. The little things you do at home or at work will matter. Today is a good time to start.
Tango Skip Bin’s Recycle Philosophy
We take away your waste but where we can we will recycle it with our recycling plant partners.
From a business perspective, recycling makes sense; by taking less waste to landfills, we reduce our costs. But we are more important in the bigger picture of our planet’s future. That is why we recycle.
Why Recycle?
Global debate on recycling is everywhere. You would have read it online, heard friends talking about it or saw it in the news. Just in case you need more convincing, we have listed a few obvious reasons why you should start recycling today.
Save natural resources
As the human population escalates (currently about 7.7 billion), it’s clear that Earth’s supply of natural resources is depleting. So, the more resources that we can reuse, the better. When we recycle timber and paper, we save trees, and by repurposing plastic, we use fewer fossil fuels and hydrocarbons.
Reduce carbon emissions
Waste that goes into landfills eventually combusts and emits dangerous carbon, known as greenhouse gasses. And, in case you don’t know, too much greenhouse gas can cause the Earth’s atmosphere to trap more heat and create global warming. Which this leads us back to the value of recycling timber and paper: a single tree can eliminate around 113 kilograms of carbon every year.
Climate scientists have shown that global warming is affecting our weather systems. The recent devastation from our bush fire season is a warning that we should take climate change seriously.
Recycling waste may be a small step but it’s the first step towards reducing our carbon footprints.
Save wildlife
The advancement of humankind has often been damaging to the homes of wildlife, like oceans, rivers and forests. WWF research shows that plastic in our water systems are killing marine life. Up to 100,000 marine life dies each year from plastic pollution. This includes whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and sea lions.
There are two that marine debris can kill. Ingestion (eating) and entanglement in plastic-based fishing gear. Both result in horrible painful deaths. Every year Australia dumps 130,000 tonnes of plastic into its oceans, and this goes on to indiscriminately kill marine mammals, birds and other creatures. If more of us responsibly recycle plastic, we can work together to reduce this number.
What can we do?
Many of the problems we face today are man-made ones. The tide can only turn if every individual does his or her part.
Here are some things we can all do to reduce our impact on the environment:
1. Recycle everything that can be recycled.
We have recycled bins provided by our local Council. Use them. Read the label on the product or packaging. If you find the recycle label, put it into the recycle bin.
2. Use less plastic
It’s a fact that plastic is practical and convenient. It’s hard to do without. However, there are alternatives.
- Use recyclable bags for your grocery shopping.
- Bring your own bags when shopping.
- Purchase foods, like cereal and rice, from bulk bins and fill up with reusable bags.
- Buy items packaged in cardboard, rather than plastic.
- Reuse plastic containers for bulk shopping or storing leftovers.
- Store goods in glass jars.
- If you have to purchase items packaged in plastic containers, check to see if the packaging has a recyclable label.
- Minimise the use of plastic straws.
- Take surplus plastic bags to soft plastic recycling bins.
- Recycle plastic whenever you can.
3. Compost organic material
Leftovers and scraps may look harmless but they are a major source of methane emissions. Methane – like carbon dioxide – is considered a greenhouse gas. It leaks into the atmosphere and absorbs the sun’s heat. It can contribute to global warming.
Put a little bin on your kitchen countertop and throw scraps from your meal preparation into this bin. The compost you collected can be put to good use in your vegetable patch, potted plant or garden. It’s a natural fertiliser that is chemical free and safe. Give it a try. Compost. Compost.
4. Consider donating
If you’ve bought a new appliance, upgraded your equipment or bought a new piece of furniture, you have the opportunity to do something good with old ones.
Consider doing something altruistic and donating it to a charity. The charity will sell it and the money can be used to fund their activities. Someone else who cannot afford to buy new will be able to enjoy what you’ve donated. It’s a feel good choice and a win-win for all parties – you, the charity, the new owner and our environment.
5. Recycle your e-waste
Your old mobile, computer, keyboard can all be recycled. There are particular guidelines for disposal of e-waste so make sure you check first. There are also special waste disposal centres that will accept e-waste. If you have a large amount of e-waste to dispose, then seek the help of a skip bin as these companies will know how to dispose the waste for you.
6. Recycle at home and at the workplace
Recycling is a commitment to our environment and our future. If you have started recycling at home, you should also recycle at the workplace. It can be as simple as bringing your own coffee mug to work instead of using the Styrofoam ones provided in the staff pantry.
Every little bit of effort we put into recycling matters. We invite you to start today.
Tangoskip is Sydney’s leading skip bin hire. We have a wide range of skip bins for hire from small 2 cubic metre bins to large 10 cubic metre bins. To book a bin, call us on 0422 222 468 or email us: Tangoskips@gmail.com
