I’ve spent a lot of time thinking and reading about recycling systems in Australia. It would be great if every council had the same scheme to make it easier for people to recycle consistently across the country. Alas, they do not. Having said that, there are a number of items that are recycled almost universally and one of these is steel, including steel bottle tops.
Steel bottle tops are recyclable but they are small, so they tend to fall through the sorting conveyor. The way around this is to fill a steel tin with other steel items such as bottle tops and champagne caps and clamp it closed. All you need to do is set the tops aside until you have enough to put in a tin. A magnet is handy to ensure you are adding steel and not aluminium. Here’s a quick video to show you what to do.
Steel is a fantastic candidate for recycling. It’s 100% recycleable and uses 75% less energy when recycled than when new steel is created. So, it’s important to ensure as much of the waste steel we create, goes back into the recycling system. Start saving those bottle tops!
For more tips on making a difference, visit my Reduce Your Footprint page.
ps: I meant to mention in the video that staples are made of steel. So all of those staples you’ve pulled out of documents can go into the tin as well.
This reminds me I need to make a recycling run.
Great Work! I didn’t mention that staples are also steel and can be added in to the tin. I’m going to go back and add that in now ; )
that’s good to know about staples being steel. i just chuck ’em, not that i use them much anymore! thanks for all your tips about recycling.
Staples seem to make their way to me at work. I come back to my desk and there they are, left by others who have visited. I’ll take ’em!
Who knew that a tiny footnote about a tiny staple would get people thinking? I’m glad to share and start a conversation.