Why is recycling so important?
 

Recycling is incredibly important. When we put our rubbish into a black bin bag, this goes into landfill. This means that our rubbish takes up parts of our local environment, which affects not only us but the wildlife around it. As the population grows and we buy products that are more convenient, the amount of waste we are making is increasing.  

At LPS, we’re part of the Rags 2 Riches 4 Schools programme. It’s a great scheme that benefits us all – by sending your unwanted toys, clothes and bedding to our school, Rags 2 Riches takes away and the school makes money. This money goes to the PTFA, who use this money to keep improving the school and provide resources that make learner’s experiences even better. The clothing then goes becomes affordable clothing for developing nations. Our last recycling event raised an amazing £80, and we can’t wait to try and beat that in October. 

There are a lot of positive reasons why we should be recycling. Firstly, when we recycle, the materials are used to make new products. Instead of natural resources being used to make these products, we are reusing what we already have – this protects our planet and the habitats that live on it. This process also saves a lot of energy, as it doesn’t need as much power as making new products from scratch. As less power is used, this means less harmful pollution. Of course, it also prevents rubbish from going into a landfill site. 

According to the World Economic Forum, Wales is the fourth top country for overall recycling in the world. With only South Korea, Austria and Germany ahead, there’s no reason that Wales can’t become the top nation for recycling. The current goal for Wales is to reach zero waste by 2050 – and this starts with all of us.  

As well as recycling, there are a few things you can do to help: 

• Reuse shopping bags – many shops no longer sell plastic bags, so it’s worth grabbing some reusable ones. This will save you money in the long run, as well as help to cut down on plastic waste. 

• Try not to buy products with excessive packaging – for example, buy loose vegetables instead of packaged or avoid buying single-use water bottles when you can fill your own. 

• If you use the internet regularly, try switching from paper statements to online ones. 

• As easy as paper plates and cups can be for clean-up, they aren’t so easy for recycling. Try to stick to washable cups plates when you can.  

When we all do our part to recycle, we can make the world a better place for future generations. What changes do you think we can all make to become the number one recycling nation in the world?