Black Country Rubbish Challenge

•  Welcome

•  Why Do It
  ›  History
  ›  Why Reduce Rubbish?
  ›  What's in it for me?
  ›  How?
  ›  When?
  ›  In My Area

•  At Home
  ›  Occasions
  ›  In the Garden
  ›  Energy Saving
  ›  Nappies
  ›  Reuse / Recycling
  ›  Junk Mail

•  At the Shops
  ›  Shopping Behaviour
  ›  Recycled Products
  ›  Supermarket Shopping
  ›  Success Stories

•  At School
  ›  Games & Quizzes
  ›  Lunch Boxes
  ›  Paper Usage
  ›  Energy Saving
  ›  Education Officer Visit
  ›  Eco Schools

•  Get Involved

•  What's New

•  Title

•  Accessibility Menu

•  Links

•  Contact

Recycled Products

Whilst recycling household waste helps the environment by saving natural resources and reducing the amount of waste sent for disposal, it would be even more effective if more people made a conscious effort to support the activity by purchasing products made from recycled material. Buying recycled products sends a message to manufacturers increasing the demand for recycled material and improving the availability of recycled products.

A recycled product is made in whole or part from materials recovered from waste. Buying a recycled product shows your support for recycling schemes and encourages retail stores to stock recycled products. Keep your eyes open for recycled products such as toilet paper, kitchen rolls, tissues, refuse sacks, writing paper and envelopes. There are more and more recycled products available every day. They should be readily available in most High Street shops and should be competitively priced, costing no more than normal comparative products.

Try to get into the habit of thinking about the life cycle of the product you are buying. What is it made from? How was it made? How long will it last? Is it biodegradable? Can it be repaired? Can it be recycled? If you can get into the habit of asking yourself these questions it will become second nature and you will be helping to recycle without even realising it.

Eco-labelling
When you're next in the market for a new fridge, freezer, fridge/freezer, washing machine or tumble dryer, look out for the new European Community (ECO) labelling scheme. Before being offered for sale, the European Eco-Labelling Board will study methods of production, distribution, sales, energy efficiency and disposal/recycling possibilities to ensure that a particular product is environmentally friendly in every way.

Only when a product has passed a series of rigorous tests will it be awarded the eco-label, so allowing you to tell at a glance how much harm each product is likely to cause to the environment. Models labelled 'A' are the most energy efficient and can use up to less than half the energy of a similar 'G' rated model.

The most comprehensive listing of recycled products available in the UK with details of over 3300 recycled products compiled by WRAP.

http://www.recycledproducts.org.uk/