Recycling mythbusters
There is no point recycling as it won’t make a difference
Recycling is the best way you can stop waste being buried in expensive landfill sites. Recycling also helps the UK save 15 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year.
Everything goes into landfill regardless of how you throw it away
This isn’t true. All of your recycling is carefully sorted by machine and hand and then sent to manufacturers who turn them into brand new products like newspaper and cans.
The trucks that collect recycling burn more energy and produce more pollution than recycling saves.
The council’s new split back vehicles are more efficient than using separate collection vehicles. Fewer trips are made each year and less CO2 is emitted.
The recycling plant uses more energy and creates more pollution.
This is not true. Recycling paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, aluminium and steel saves 15 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents per year.
There is no point recycling because materials produced are of a very low quality.
Most people don’t even notice when things are made from recycled materials. If you buy newspapers and cans, they will probably have been recycled.
The council makes a lot of money from recycling
The council actually makes very little money from recycling. Any money we do make goes back into your recycling service.
Page last updated: 12/05/2010