Guess What’s the Same Weight as 20 million Polar Bears?
The UK’s annual paper and cardboard consumption!
Approximately 12.5 million tonnes a year and equivalent to the weight of 20 million polar bears (according to bins.co.uk a commercial waste removal and recycling company). Now this might conjure a whimsical image, but such a population explosion would catastrophically disrupt the delicate balance of Earth’s ecosystems! Apart from the fact that we might all be eaten. But the point is, that image is somehow very relatable.
Sadly about 7 million tons of that paper and cardboard ends up in landfill. So today, we’re diving headfirst into this topic that’s probably lurking in your garage, under your stairs, or even masquerading as a fort in your living room – the humble cardboard box! Yes, those unassuming brown squares that carry everything from our online shopping hauls to our precious memories during a house move. But what happens to them after their initial purpose is served?
Let’s chat about cardboard in the UK, the environmental impact of producing them, and all the brilliant ways we can give it a second, third or more life and keep them from that landfill as long as possible.
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