May 2020 – The Waste Management & Recycling Blog

What is the difference between recycling and upcycling?

The terms ‘recycling’ and ‘upcycling’ are sometimes used interchangeably but the two processes are actually unrelated and very different from each other.

In this article, we’ll take a look at both and then highlight the differences between the two, while also explaining why each is important from an environmental perspective.

Let’s start with a look at recycling.

Can the zero-waste movement survive the coronavirus pandemic?

Before the outbreak of COVID-19, the UK public was taking steps towards living a less wasteful existence.

These steps included the plastic bag charge at supermarkets and large shops, and the rise of reusable coffee cups.

Unfortunately, 2020 has delivered an unexpected health crisis to the country (and the world), with a novel coronavirus that spreads itself through close contact between humans.

At the start of March, Starbucks announced that it was temporarily banning reusable cups to help contain the spread of the virus.

Many cafes across the country have since made the same switch for their takeaway services, too.

With the containment of the virus being a bigger priority than the environment right now in the eyes of most, we’re seeing many other changes taking place in society as well.

While the changes are temporary, none of us really know exactly how long ‘temporary’ will end up having to be.

How to dispose of waste during the virus outbreak

We’re living in unprecedented times and our lives are looking very different from how they used to do only a few months ago.

There are not many aspects of normal life that have been left untouched by the coronavirus pandemic, and waste management is one of those affected areas.

While some local council waste collections have been unaffected throughout, many across the country have been.

This is due to a combination of things; mainly staff shortages due to periods of self-isolation, and the increase in domestic waste volumes due to everyone being at home more.

So, what should you be doing with your household waste during this time?

Check with your local council for your collection dates and read on to learn more about waste and COVID-19.