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Recycling

FIT Food 4U is all about saving the planet and going as green as we can to do our bit for the environment! We are going to be doing our part by dropping our plastic lids and replacing them with a cardboard sleeve.

There are three key factors when thinking about how to recycle – The 3 R’s:

Reduce  |  Reuse  |  Recycle

 

Environmental Importance

Recycling is very important as waste has a huge negative impact on the natural environment. Harmful chemicals and greenhouse gasses are released from rubbish in landfill sites. Recycling helps to reduce the pollution caused by waste. 

Habitat destruction and global warming are some the effects caused by deforestation. Recycling reduces the need for raw materials so that the rainforests can be preserved. 

Huge amounts of energy are used when making products from raw materials. Recycling requires much less energy and therefore helps to preserve natural resources.

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Reuse our containers

How you can reuse our Fit Food 4U containers:
• Plant Seedlings with cotton wool until the seedling are big enough to be transplanted in your garden.
• Reuse our soup/snack containers for your personal snack storage in your refrigerator or cupboard.
• Recycle empty juice and smoothie bottles into bird feeders

Recycling is important

Recycling is one of the best ways for you to have a positive impact on the world in which we live. Recycling is important to both the natural environment and us. We must act fast as the amount of waste we create is increasing all the time.

The amount of rubbish we create is constantly increasing because:

  • Increasing wealth means that people are buying more products and ultimately creating more waste.
  • Increasing population means that there are more people on the planet to create waste.
  • New lifestyle changes, such as eating fast food, means that we create additional waste that isn’t biodegradable.

Recycling is essential to cities around the world and to the people living in them. Preserve natural resources for future generations. Recycling reduces the need for raw materials, it also uses less energy, therefore preserving natural resources for the future.

Buy online or WhatsApp us on 063 772 7655 for more information

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How can I improve the way I recycle?

To reduce contamination and improve recycling efficiency, wash and squash!

  • Wash
    – Scrape out any food remains / pour away excess liquid.
    – Rinse the container (use your washing-up water)
  • Squash
    – Crush metal cans.
    – Squeeze plastic bottles flat to expel as much air as possible.

What about lids, rings and labels?

If you can remove labels and lids from glass jars and bottles, that’s great, but don’t worry too much because, in the recycling process, the items are re-washed. After crushing, any non-glass objects are removed.

Removing the caps and lids from plastic containers is more important. Plastic caps are often made from a different polymer type, and therefore have a different a melting point when compared to the plastic used for the bottle itself. Too many lids will contaminate the load, so remove and throw away plastic caps where possible. The plastic ring around the neck of the bottle can be left on – a minimal amount of contamination is tolerated.

Remove paper clips, staples and plastic envelope windows from paper. Also remove excessive amounts of tape and labelling from cardboard packaging. Small amounts won’t affect the recycling process unduly.

There are about 50 different types of plastic. The main types include:

  • HDPE – Opaque bottles
  • PVC – Transparent bottles, with a seam running across the base
  • PET – Transparent bottles, with a hard molded spot in the center of the base

If your home recycling bin doesn’t take plastic bottles, then deposit them at your local recycling bank. Here are ways to dispose the clean way with plastic:

  • Clean bottles before recycling them.
  • Buy plastic bottles in bulk whenever possible to reduce packaging waste.
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Glass is separated into 3 colours: green, brown and clear.

  • Take great care when handling broken glass, wear gloves if possible.
  • Deposit glass at your nearest recycling bank by throwing them into the appropriate container.
  • Most home recycle bins, provided by your local council, usually accept glass.
  • Make sure you wash out the bottle or jar before putting it into recycling bins.
  • Reuse glass whenever possible. (Jars can be used as small containers and bottles can be used as vases.)
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More about Recycling

  1. Paper is taken from the bin and deposited in a large recycling container along with paper from other recycling bins.
  2. The paper is taken to a recycling plant where it is separated into types and grades.
  3. The separated paper is then washed with soapy water to remove inks, plastic film, staples and glue. The paper is put into a large holder where it is mixed with water to create ‘slurry’.
  4. By adding different materials to the slurry, different paper products can be created, such as cardboard, newsprints or office paper.
  5. The slurry is spread using large rollers into large thin sheets.
  6. The paper is left to dry, and then it is rolled up ready to be cut and sent back to the shops.
  1. The consumer throws glass into a recycle bin.
  2. Glass is taken from the bin and taken to a glass treatment plant.
  3. The glass is sorted by colour and washed to remove any impurities.
  4. The glass is then crushed and melted, then molded into new products such as bottles and jars. Or it may be used for alternative purposes such as brick manufacture or decorative uses.
  5. The glass is then sent back to the shops ready to be used again.
  6. Glass does not degrade through the recycling process, so it can be recycled again and again.
  • The consumer throws aluminum cans and foil into a recycle bin.
  • The aluminum is then collected and taken to a treatment plant.
  • In the treatment plant the aluminum is sorted and cleaned ready for reprocessing.
  • It then goes through a re-melt process and turns into molten aluminum; this removes the coatings and inks that may be present on the aluminum.
  • The aluminum is then made into large blocks called ingots. Each ingot contains about 1.6 million drinks cans.
  • The ingots are sent to mills where they are rolled out, this gives the aluminum greater flexibility and strength.
  • This is then made into aluminum products such as cans, chocolate wrapping and ready meal packaging.
  • In as little as 6 weeks, the recycled aluminum products are then sent back to the shops ready to be used again.
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