Plastic waste is a material that can be recycled in the wrong place

When we think of plastic waste, we think about the 8 – 14 million tons which enter our oceans every year. Out of this figure, 50% of this waste is single-use plastics; and only 9% of this has ever been recycled.

Britain alone contributes an estimated 1.7 million tons of plastic annually, and our UK beaches have 5,000 pieces of plastic and 150 plastic bottles each mile. This shows the devastating effects that plastic waste is having on our oceans just from the UK alone; but what if we told you that this plastic waste is a recyclable material that is in the wrong place.

Why is plastic waste important?

Plastic waste has a very bad reputation of being the worst item on the planet – harming our marine life, our environment and taking over 450 years to decompose, but plastic waste could be more useful than you think. Because most plastic waste can be recycled, a lot of new products can be transformed using this plastic waste, therefore creating a closed-loop system.

We are seeing more and more big brands manufacturing their products from recycled plastic waste – Adidas are creating more sports ranges, Puma have now joined them in creating their own range of sportswear made from plastic waste, Rothy’s have created a range of handbags made from ocean plastic; and Polypebbles manufacture all of their products from recycled plastic, all made from 100% recycled plastic; which was once milk containers. By using this plastic waste to manufacture products for all, they are helping to save our oceans and essentially, our future generations. We need to nurture our planet so that our children and grandchildren can appreciate mother nature and the environment around them as much as we do.

How plastic waste can be seen as a resource and not a problem?

Here at Polypebbles, we see plastic waste as a resource and not a problem – and here are some reasons why:

• Manufacturing products made from recycle plastic helps to coincide with circular economy principles – Design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use and regenerate natural systems. This means that people need to reduce, reuse and recycle to ensure that circular economy principles are met, and to prevent single-use plastics from reaching landfill and our oceans.

• Manufacturing products from plastic waste can save time and money – most businesses spend a lot of their budget on maintenance; which can include staining, varnishing and cleaning timber products. With products manufactured from recycled plastic waste, the products do not rot or corrode, and nothing sticks to the product, therefore saving time and money. Recycled plastic products do not need as much maintenance and need little or no cleaning; if they become dirty, then they can be clean down with a cloth or hosed with a jet wash.

• Products made from plastic waste have a long lifespan – plastic waste takes over 450 years to decompose; and even then, it does not completely go away. So, by manufacturing products made from plastic waste means that the products should potentially last forever. This will also save many businesses money as they will never have to replace products which are made from recycled waste, leaving money in their budget to be able to spend on other projects.

• Most importantly, it helps to save the planet – by purchasing products made from plastic waste, you are committing to any climate emergency agendas and are preventing more plastic waste entering our oceans, therefore helping to save the planet.

We do not need to hate plastic waste but see it as a recyclable material that is in the wrong place. All councils throughout the UK have different ‘rules’ on what can and cannot be recycled; and this can be very confusing for many households when it comes to disposing of their plastic waste in the correct bin. If councils adapted the same approach, and created general recycling guidelines, whereby everyone can recycle the same products, then this would potentially help people to know what to recycle, increase recycling rates throughout the UK and therefore help to see plastic waste as a potential resource instead of a problem.

Here at Polypebbles®, we pride ourselves in using plastic waste in the right place by providing recycled plastic. This then shows everyone that we do not need to afraid of plastic waste, we just need to know how to use it and find it in the right places.