SEAI - Recyclying and Packaging

Curriculum Link: 6.3 Consumer Studies, 6.4 Resource Management and Home Studies

Information on the topic

Every home in Ireland produces about a ton of waste a year. Over 70% of this domestic waste comes from packaging. Think about your lunch today: how much packaging is on it? Could you reduce the amount of packaging by using a lunch box or reusing plastic bottles?

Approximately half of the waste we throw out each year could be recycled. Recycling reduces the use of raw materials needed to make products and packaging, lowers energy costs involved in making different products and lessens the amount of waste going to rubbish dumps. For example, plastic bottles can be recycled into new plastic bottles, polyester fibres for use in fleece jumpers or car mats.

Reducing the amount of mining and extraction that occurs to source the raw materials is beneficial to preserving the natural habitats of wild animals and preserving our fast disappearing rain forests.

In Ireland we currently dispose of most of our waste in landfill sites. A landfill is a large hole dug into the ground; it can be the size of many football pitches. The hole is lined with special plastic to prevent the chemicals from the waste soaking into the soil underneath. However landfills release a large amount of harmful greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which are adding to global warming.

Plastic
Certain materials take a very long time to decompose i.e. plastic bags. Most packaging is made from plastic. It takes a lot of energy to produce plastic, as one of its main ingredients is crude oil. Scientists estimate that, at current oil consumption levels, we only have enough oil in the world for another 200 years. This will have a huge effect on the oil industry and all its associated products such as petrol and plastics.

Plastic

Certain materials take a very long time to decompose i.e. plastic bags. Most packaging is made from plastic. It takes a lot of energy to produce plastic, as one of its main ingredients is crude oil. Scientists estimate that, at current oil consumption levels, we only have enough oil in the world for another 200 years. This will have a huge effect on the oil industry and all its associated products such as petrol and plastics.

Paper
Paper is made from trees, which means that trees have to be cut down to make the paper and cardboard. Trees are carbon stores, which mean they take in carbon dioxide, the main gas that is causing global warming. Today, paper production accounts for about 35% of felled trees. Recycling one ton of newsprint saves about 1 ton of wood while recycling 1 ton of printing or copier paper saves slightly more than two tons of wood. Paper production uses a huge amount of chemicals, water and electricity. It also has contributed to air pollution and has done much damage to our forests.

Paper

Paper is made from trees, which means that trees have to be cut down to make the paper and cardboard. Trees are carbon stores, which mean they take in carbon dioxide, the main gas that is causing global warming. Today, paper production accounts for about 35% of felled trees. Recycling one ton of newsprint saves about 1 ton of wood while recycling 1 ton of printing or copier paper saves slightly more than two tons of wood. Paper production uses a huge amount of chemicals, water and electricity. It also has contributed to air pollution and has done much damage to our forests.

Metal
An aluminium can is made from alumina. The production process of making a drinks can takes 11 months. The process starts with extracting the raw materials from mountains in places such as Indonesia, converting this into sheets of aluminium, transporting these sheets to factories to be made into drinks cans, transporting to drinks factories, and then finally to be transported to the shop shelves. Recycling a can, however, takes just 5 days.

Metal

An aluminium can is made from alumina. The production process of making a drinks can takes 11 months. The process starts with extracting the raw materials from mountains in places such as Indonesia, converting this into sheets of aluminium, transporting these sheets to factories to be made into drinks cans, transporting to drinks factories, and then finally to be transported to the shop shelves. Recycling a can, however, takes just 5 days.

Glass
Glass is made from sand or silica. The process by which sand is made into glass takes a huge amount of energy. Glass furnaces are fuelled by natural gas or oil-fired systems and operate at temperatures of up to 1,575°C! Glass accounts for 8% of waste in the household bin. Glass can be recycled repeatedly as glass does not wear out. Glass cullet (crushed and sorted used glass) can be recycled into new glass jars and bottles; as well as concrete, fibreglass, ceramic tiles, and picture frames!

Glass

Glass is made from sand or silica. The process by which sand is made into glass takes a huge amount of energy. Glass furnaces are fuelled by natural gas or oil-fired systems and operate at temperatures of up to 1,575°C! Glass accounts for 8% of waste in the household bin. Glass can be recycled repeatedly as glass does not wear out. Glass cullet (crushed and sorted used glass) can be recycled into new glass jars and bottles; as well as concrete, fibreglass, ceramic tiles, and picture frames!

COMPOSTING

Organic waste is waste that breaks down over time, such as leftover fruit and vegetable scraps, paper, egg shells, coffee grinds, cardboard, garden clippings and tea bags. This brown waste will rot down, with the help of earth and tiger worms, and turn into highly nutritious compost that will help grow your own vegetables in your back garden. Worms play a very important role in keeping soil healthy because, as well as eating organic waste, they move it through the soil and enable air to circulate through their burrows. By composting you are reducing the amount of waste that goes into landfill and therefore reducing the amount of methane gas going into the atmosphere.

Biodegradable waste
Means the material is capable of being decomposed or broken down by bacteria into mostly water, carbon dioxide and organic matter within six months. Examples of biodegradable waste are tea bags, vegetable waste, egg shells and banana peels.

Non-biodegradable waste
Cannot be decomposed by bacteria, and do not break down naturally. As a result household wastes such as detergents, soaps, synthetic cloth etc. go into the sewage undegraded which results in toxic waste. Other products such as plastic bags, bottles, tin cans, nappies and computer hardware do not break down naturally either and end up in our landfills.

Recycling Top Tips	Packaging Top Tips
Recycle everything you possibly can such as glass, tins, paper and plastic. Take them to your local recycling centre. Take your unwanted clothes to either charity shops or recycling bins where they will be put to another use Electrical items such as batteries and mobile phones can be recycled. Using rechargeable batteries reduces waste. Compost all brown materials e.g. fruit and vegetable scraps, tea bags, coffee grinds etc. Vegetables and garden waste may be added to a compost heap thereby returning nutrients to the soil. Composting is a great way to help reduce the amount of waste materials going to landfill.	Avoid over packaged products – this reduces waste. Buy products in recyclable packaging. Buy products made from recycled materials. Use re-usable containers such as lunch boxes, food storage boxes and reusable drinks containers. Buy your meat and vegetables from farmers markets and local butchers to reduce over packaged foods. Use fabric bags or re-useable plastic bags for your shopping.

Recycling Top Tips

Packaging Top Tips

Recycle everything you possibly can such as glass, tins, paper and plastic. Take them to your local recycling centre.
Take your unwanted clothes to either charity shops or recycling bins where they will be put to another use
Electrical items such as batteries and mobile phones can be recycled.
Using rechargeable batteries reduces waste.
Compost all brown materials e.g. fruit and vegetable scraps, tea bags, coffee grinds etc. Vegetables and garden waste may be added to a compost heap thereby returning nutrients to the soil. Composting is a great way to help reduce the amount of waste materials going to landfill.

Avoid over packaged products – this reduces waste.
Buy products in recyclable packaging.
Buy products made from recycled materials.
Use re-usable containers such as lunch boxes, food storage boxes and reusable drinks containers.
Buy your meat and vegetables from farmers markets and local butchers to reduce over packaged foods.
Use fabric bags or re-useable plastic bags for your shopping.

Activities

Links

www.epa.ie/researchandeducation/education/educ/sustainableresourceuse/recycling-wasteasaresource/
The Environmental Protection Agencies website has an interesting video on where your waste goes and some class exercises for you to complete.

www.recyclemore.ie
An interesting website with lots of facts on recycling.

www.repak.ie
The main company in Ireland responsible for recycling our waste.

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