I purchased a plastic tote with a lid the other day that was made from 100% recycled plastic. The label stated that 2.9 litres of oil was saved by using recycled plastic.
Saving resources is a major reason recycling is good for the environment.
What kinds of things do the items you recycle become?
Cascades Recovery is the company recyclables are sent to in Winnipeg. They send materials on for recycling into new products.
Cardboard is made into new cardboard or boxboard like cereal boxes.
Boxboard is made into new boxboard.
Newspapers become new newspapers, magazines or boxboard.
Books become fibre trays for shipping fruit.
Milk cartons, juice boxes (Tetra Paks) and office paper are recycled into tissues like ‘Kleenex’, toilet paper, etc.
Aluminum cans become new aluminium cans.
Pop bottles and clam shell food containers (#1 plastic) become fibres for carpets and fleece clothing.
Milk jugs (#2 plastic) are reground to make new #2 plastic containers and car parts.
Tin is smelted to become new tin, or to make car parts.
Other plastics are recycled into new plastic like the tote I purchased.
Most recycling happens in mills in the Midwest or southern United States and Eastern Canada.
You can support recycling by buying items made from recycled materials. Check the labels of containers and paper products for information about recycled content.
Did you know the recycling symbol is called a Mobius loop? It is used on plastics to indicate what chemicals have been mixed with the plastic during manufacturing. This is important information in the recycling process.
Recycling means we take less from the earth and need less space for landfills. It is worth it.