The Waste Hierarchy: Reduce Reuse Recycle
Let's get it sorted
After your recyclates (materials that can be recycled) are collected, they are sorted and reprocessed to make new products.
- Cans are sorted, baled and sent to reprocessors to be melted down and recycled into new materials.
- Garden waste is taken to a central composting facility, where it breaks down to form compost, which then has a number of different uses.
- Paper and cardboard is baled and sent to paper mills to be pulped and recycled into a variety of new paper and card products.
- Plastic is sorted, baled and sent to reprocessors to be melted down and recycled into a variety of new plastic products.
Recycling your waste:
- Saves the Earth’s natural resources.
- Saves energy and reduces the risk of climate change.
- Reduces the need for landfill.
This forms part of the National Waste Plan for Scotland.
The Waste Hierarchy: Reduce Reuse Recycle
The "Waste Hierarchy" ranks the different ways in which we can dispose of our waste in order of sustainability or relative environmental benefits. You are the most important person in the process of waste prevention. By spending a small amount of time and thought on the 3 Rs – Reduce Reuse and Recycle – you can make a big difference to the amount of waste that goes into landfill. The 3 Rs are simple principles that will help you to do a little and change a lot!
Reduce
The first level of the waste hierarchy is Reduce.
Think about how you can prevent creating waste. Avoid buying products that have excessive layers of packaging or find out if there is a more durable, longer lasting alternative to the product you want to buy.
If we don’t produce as much waste in the first place, then we have less to deal with in the end.
Reuse
The second level is Reuse.
This involves using a product more than once in its original form, for its original purpose or for an alternative, with or without reconditioning.
Reusing items means that you do not have to buy new ones. This saves resources.
Recycle
Recycling recovers value from things that would otherwise simply be disposed of. It diverts away from landfill; which extends the life of our landfill site and helps conserve our countryside; and reduces pollution. It means that fewer natural resources are being used and energy is saved. The more people that recycle, the cheaper the recycled products will be.
Unified Solutions.