Recycling is not a silver bullet that will halt climate breakdown. Not even close. Its potential impact – a saving of around 11 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) over 30 years if the whole world recycles more than 80 per cent of its municipal waste – is dwarfed by the amount of greenhouse gases currently released by fossil fuels and industry: 36.8 gigatonnes in 2022 alone.
Today, recycling in the UK saves an estimated 18 million tonnes of CO2 emissions each year – the equivalent of pulling 5 million cars off the road. That may sound promising, but it’s only a 2,000th of the CO2 emissions currently generated each year by fossil fuels and industry and roughly a 200th of that generated by agriculture or the global fashion industry.
These numbers are disheartening. So what’s a well-meaning person to do?
Reduce, reuse, recycle
First, don’t give up on recycling; it’s easy to do and it helps reduce landfill and slow the rate at which we extract Earth’s resources.
As for how much difference one person can make, if you take the 18 million tonnes figure above and divide it by the UK’s 67 million inhabitants, it suggests that the average Brit currently saves around 269kg of CO2 a year by recycling.
According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Brits recycled 44 per cent of their household waste in 2021. The figures suggest that a typical Brit could bump their CO2 savings up to 610kg a year by recycling 100 per cent of their waste.
If you really want to move the needle, though, pay attention to your choices earlier in the consumption pipeline. For instance, opt for loose fruit and veg; pick solid cleaning products (dish soap, laundry detergent strips) over liquids in plastic bottles; mend or repurpose old clothing; and the big one: buy less stuff.
Switch your emphasis to the Reduce and Reuse parts of the 3R mantra, and keep Recycle for when you’ve exhausted the other options.
Start with one thing
If it all feels overwhelming, try picking one thing and building from there. For instance, if you grab a lunchtime meal deal each workday, you could easily rack up 250 plastic bottles over a year.
Estimates vary, but by switching to a reusable bottle you could save 20kg of CO2 each year.
Meanwhile, a review of over 7,000 studies from across the globe listed the most effective changes to household consumption. They include taking one fewer long-haul flight per year, choosing public transport and making your home more energy efficient.
So recycling alone won’t fix climate change, but it nudges things in the right direction. And we’re not powerless as individuals to effect change.
This article is an answer to the question (from Jensen Pitts, via email) 'Can I really make a difference by recycling?'
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