The packaging industry is worth a huge amount in Britain today and its value is increasing as the use of packaging has increased. Increased disposable incomes have increased consumer demand for exotic food often coming packaged from the other side of the world. Food miles (the distance which each product will travel before getting to its end destination) have become increasingly higher for some products and this requires packaging to ensure everything is visually attractive on arrival. Most packaging can be recycled, but try and buy products with the least amount of packaging possible.

Packaging Facts:

• The energy from recycling one glass bottle can be used to power:
• A Light bulb for an hour
• Or a computer for 25 minutes
• Or a colour television for 20 minutes
• Or a washing machine for 10 minutes
• It takes the same amount of energy to produce one aluminium can as it does to recycle 20
• On average, someone in the UK throws away their own bodyweight in rubbish every seven weeks
• The majority of the worlds waste is produced by the Western world
• Mixed packaging which is hard to separate into different materials for recycling can be used to make floor coverings, shoe soles and car mats
• Wasteonline.org.uk~ has more information and astonishing facts on this topic

Consider going to markets for fruit and vegetables they may not be packaged but they will be fresh, and often from local sources. Recyclenow.com~, an English website and Sort-it.org.uk~, the Scottish equivalent, are two websites showing how waste can be reduced and recycling increased for your everyday purchases. Planetark.com~ is an Australian website offering advice on how consumers can reduce day to day impact on the environment not just from recycling initiatives.

Recyclethis.co.uk~ and recycling-guide.org.uk~ are websites offering advice on how to recycle everything and anything – for example pistachio nut shells and computer joysticks.