UK Recycle Week – restore, renew, re-use, recycle

Recycle Week runs from 16^th – 22^nd October this year and is Recycle Now’s flagship annual event, which is a celebration of recycling across the UK. It is the one week of the year when retailers, brands, waste management companies, trade associations, governments and the media come together to achieve one goal: to galvanise the public into recycling more of the right things, more often…

The theme this year is The Big Recycling Hunt, with the campaign aimed to inspire children, families, and communities. A key focus will be ‘missed capture’, which are items that can be recycled yet are commonly missed in the home, or placed into the wrong bin.

© Pawel Czerwinski, Unsplash

We all understand that urgent action is required globally to reduce the impact of plastic packaging on our natural environment, and that its end of life needs redressing. Ultimately, through ongoing work with consumers, brand partnerships, and the annual Recycle Week initiative, Recycle Now works to educate and inspire people to modify their recycling behaviour. Germany currently has the highest recycling rate in the world, and we want to catch up with them!

© Patricia Valério, Unsplash

How does Nikwax take plastic out of the environment and reduce waste?
Our goal has always been to produce reliable waterproofing aftercare products that allow people to restore and re-use their outdoor clothing and gear that would otherwise be thrown away and likely end up in landfill. But, we must also make sure that our plastic use is kept to a minimum and is not allowed to escape into the environment. We do this by:

1. Reducing the amount of plastic required for our packaging.
2. Making it easier for people to recycle the packaging by avoiding mixing different kinds of plastic in one bottle or tube.
3. Using recycled plastic and ensure its recyclability.

Did you know the world produces 141 million tonnes of plastic packaging a year, and that plastic production, use and disposal contributes about 1.8 billion tonnes of carbon emissions annually?*

To help solve the problem of plastic pollution, we ultimately need to keep plastic in the loop. This is why Nikwax’s bottles and caps are made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic and they have always been 100% recyclable. Our commitment to responsible use of plastic saves 170 tonnes of virgin plastic per year and underlines our contribution to a circular packaging approach.

Nikwax is also proud to have been an active member of the Single Use Plastics Project (a European Outdoor Group initiative) since its inception in 2018. The project is on a mission to significantly reduce the impacts of single use plastic packaging in the outdoor industry, by bringing like-minded outdoor brands and retailers together to collaborate and work towards an industry-wide solution.

You can read more about our environmental philosophy and principles here.

Recycle Week’s event serves as a reminder of the positive impact recycling has on the environment and encourages everyone to make recycling a standard part of their daily lives. Nikwax Partners (employees) will certainly be getting behind this extra opportunity to learn, engage, and contribute to a more sustainable future – make sure you do too!

* wrap.org.uk/taking-action/plastic-packaging

Header image: © Nick Fewings, Unsplash