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Purchase Recycled Goods

From toilet paper to chairs, jackets to dog leads, there are products made from recycled products that are great quality, so recycle when you buy.

While putting out the recycling rubbish gives us a modest glow of goodness the oft missed part of the recycling loop is the purchase of products made of recycled material. By actively supporting the reuse of recycled plastics, paper and other materials through purchasing these products we are truly recycling. This way we encourage the growth of design and product businesses seeking to reduce their impact on the environment through the creation of closed-loop systems that save nature from having to absorb these materials.

Do it now!

Purchase "high in recycled material" at all times - By retuning your shopping filter to notice and buy products with recycled components you will create demand for those items you put on the kerb each week.

Explore products, brands and stores specialising in recycling content products - The following site will help you find those businesses leading the charge toward sustainable consumption

Waste Wise Shopping Guide (Victoria) - database of products made from recycled materials.
EcoBuy (Victoria) - has a database of ecologically progressive products from all over Australia.

Why this action is important

Recycling has a two-fold effect on the environment: it reduces the need to extract more materials from nature and it circumvents large amounts of concentrated (and often toxic) man-made materials entering and having to be processed by nature.

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Environmental benefit

In 2002-03, Australia generated approximately 32.4 million tonnes of solid waste or about 1.7 tonnes per capita. Approximately 60% of this waste is buried in landfill. This represent a huge ongoing loss of invested energy, extracted resources and natural services that could otherwise be recycled back into other man made products and materials.

Wellbeing benefit

Recycling of toxic chemicals, radioactive materials and other non-biodegradable materials is an alternative to the attempt to store them in landfill facilities. Inadequate disposal of these materials has allowed many man-made toxins to enter the coastal ocean areas and contaminate seafood. Mercury turns into its organic form, methyl mercury, and accumulates in the tissue of tuna, swordfish and shark (large, old fish at top of food chain). Chemicals such as DDT and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl), dioxin, toxaphene, and dieldrin can accumulate in fish (especially farm-fed fish) and are all suspected to cause cancer in people.