With businesses facing mounting pressure from customers to improve sustainability practices and governments across the globe enforcing recycling legislation, it’s clear that action on recycling is ramping up. But is recycling the answer and can better recycling actually impact climate change?
Sustainability and Communications Manager, Adriana Olaya Rodriguez, discusses the difference recycling can make and how it can benefit business.
The waste crisis
World Bank estimates show that, globally, we produce approximately 2.01 billion tonnes of solid waste each year¹, while the UNEP Global Waste Management Outlook 2024 (GWMO 2024) report paints a grim picture of our mounting waste crisis. It highlights a staggering increase in municipal solid waste which is forecasted to grow from 2.3 billion tonnes in 2023 to a projected 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050². This alarming trajectory is inextricably linked to economic growth, industrialisation, and changing consumption patterns, particularly in fast-growing economies.
While the environmental consequences of this waste deluge are undeniable, global recycling rates remain low, languishing at a mere 19%³. In Europe, the EU’s binding recycling targets have undeniably driven progress in waste management, with recycling rates steadily climbing, however there is certainly work still to do⁴. Recent data from the European Environmental Agency reveals a concerning trend: stagnation and even decline in recycling rates, with 2022 figures falling below those from a decade ago in some instances⁵.
Why is recycling so important?
Recycling is a key part of a circular economy that tackles global challenges such as:
The aim of a circular economy is to keep materials in use and reduce waste. When we recycle, discarded materials are transformed into new products, reducing the demand for virgin resources and minimising pollution. By championing recyclability we can divert valuable resources from landfills, minimise environmental impact of waste and ensure streamlined waste collection and processes. Furthermore, a well-defined recycling infrastructure, including efficient collection systems and processing facilities, ensures that recyclable materials are properly managed and repurposed.
Can better recycling really impact climate change?
The climate impacts of human waste are becoming harder to overlook. Poor recycling impacts climate change in several ways, from organic waste clogging up landfills to manufacturing and incinerating waste.
The matter with methane:
Apart from being unsightly, landfills are responsible for 20% of human-driven methane emissions globally⁶. When not recycled properly, organic matter is sent to landfills where it breaks down and produces methane, which is significantly more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere and has a greater global warming potential than carbon dioxide⁷.
A new way to manufacture:
We can reduce emissions from energy consumption by using recycled materials to manufacture goods. Typically, manufacturing products made of recycled materials requires less energy than producing goods from virgin materials as the extraction of most raw materials is very energy and GHG emissions intensive⁸.
Reduce emissions from incinerators:
Keeping materials in the loop and diverting them from incinerators reduces greenhouse gas emissions from the combustion of waste in waste management incineration plants.
How can better recycling benefit business?
Correct segregation facilitates recycling, reduces landfill burden, and even unlocks potential revenue streams by identifying valuable materials for resale and reduces waste management costs. Ultimately, if source segregation is not properly implemented, valuable materials that could be repurposed might end up in landfills, putting a strain on the use of virgin raw materials and creating additional environmental burdens.
Although recycling is crucial, reducing consumption should be our first port of call. The most effective way to reduce waste, and the most environmentally preferred strategy, is to not create it in the first place. That’s why at RCP we focus on creating durable solutions that are built to last year after year, allowing you to buy better and waste less. Find out more about the original greener choice ‘durability’ here.
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