Recycling is commonplace in our homes and workplaces, and many of the objects we use every day were once something else. Although it is
Although it's common practice, there's more to recycling than turning an old plastic bottle into a new one.
Many materials, apart from conventional plastic and glass, can be recycled and transformed into a range of weird and wonderful creations.
Recycled shoes
Adidas has announced that it would stop using virgin polyester by 2024. The sports giant uses recycled marine plastic waste in some of its latest sports shoes.
But the famous brand is not alone in offering sustainable footwear: Yatay claims to be the first ‘organic shoe’ made from wood, cereals, recycled tyres and water bottles.
Converse is even offering an eco-friendly version of its classic Chuck Taylor, made from 30-40% recycled manufacturing waste, including leftovers from its own factory.
Coffins
Although the idea of coffins may seem daunting at first sight, an eco-friendly coffin is an excellent choice for the environmentally conscious.
Co-op Funeral Care says it has seen an increase in demand for green funerals, and a recycled coffin is an easy way to incorporate sustainability into end-of-life ceremonies.
A range of recycled coffins is available, Creative Coffins offering cardboard options, 70% of which are made from reused materials.
The roads
Roads and pavements made from recycled waste are becoming increasingly common, whether it's the re-use of old road materials, such as part of the A10 motorway in France, or innovations in plastic recycling that can be found all over the world.
Stretches of road around the world now include plastic waste, from packaging to bottles, which was previously destined for landfill or incineration.
The company MacReburwhich specialises in plastic roads, has seen its products used all over the world in asphalt for motorways, roundabouts, runways and even racing circuits.
Chewing Gum
Chewing gum is an unlikely material that can be recycled and used to make all sorts of new and useful objects.
Gumdrop is a UK initiative that encourages people to dispose of their chewing gum responsibly and recycle it into Gum-tec - a range of compounds that can then be used in rubber and plastic materials such as shoes, coffee cups and packaging.
Gumdrop bins are now available throughout the UK, including at Legoland and Southampton Airport.
Toothbrushes
Toothbrushes can take up to 1,000 years to decompose, whether in a marine environment or in a landfill, so it's hardly surprising that they're getting an ecological makeover.
In 2020, Unilever has launched a toothbrush made from 100% recycled plastic.
The model is made from 100% food-grade post-consumer recycled plastic, while containing 40% less plastic than a standard toothbrush.
Recycled carpets
Most carpets are made from plastic fibres and, in recent years, manufacturers have succeeded in creating these fibres from recycled materials such as plastic bottles.
Not only can carpets be produced from recycled plastic waste, but the British brand Sedna is offering floor coverings made from regenerated nylon, made from recycled waste such as old carpets and abandoned fishing nets collected from the seabed.
This has the added benefit of making the oceans safer for marine creatures such as turtles and dolphins, which often become entangled in litter.
