We are on a journey to understanding how we can use resources better. This journey is not new, in the past in times of global conflict, we often had to make best use of the limited materials and resources we had.
Saving resources now has a new mantra, sustainable resources. We are now starting to measure in environmental, economic and ethical terms how much we can save by reusing what we have rather than starting from new.
Here are some examples of how much energy we can save through resource re-use:
| Materials |
Energy saving through re-use |
| Aluminium |
90% |
| Steel |
80% |
| Plastic HDPE |
37% |
| Plastic PET |
33% |
| Glass |
30% |
| Paper and Card |
between 25% and 70%
(depending on the type of paper and how it is made) |
It is not just energy we save but also water, a potentially scarce resource in the future. For example packaging made from recycled steel is made with 40% less water than its unrecycled counterpart (Tata Steel) .
Fresh resources themselves are running out, in 2005 the New Scientist forecast:
- Platinum – use in vehicle exhausts – 15 years to depletion
- Silver – 15 to 20 years to depletion
- Zinc – 20 to 30 years to depletion
- Uranium – for use in nuclear power – 30 to 40 years to depletion
Yet at the moment we only recycle 16% of the silver we use.
So, shortages and increasing prices; this is the scenario without a comprehensive resource recovery strategy.
Contact: Business Development
Email: Info.recycling.uk@sca.com
