Celebrate the nation’s annual recycling event with Takeaway Packaging. Do something different for Recycle Week (20th – 26th September 2021).

Recycling gets a bad wrap. Not enough products and materials are recycled, making the purpose of recyclable packaging a little redundant. Tonnes of waste is sent straight to landfill when it could’ve been recycled or reused, creating innumerable environmental issues and wasting incredible amounts of the planet’s resources.

Recycle Week hopes to change that by promoting recycling to protect the environment and preserve our finite resources. So what’s it all about, and how can you take part?

What Is Recycle Week?

Recycle Week is an annual event organised by Recycle Now. The yearly celebration aims to promote recycling by drawing attention to national — and global — waste management issues that have a detrimental impact on their communities and the environment. 

Businesses and consumers can turn the tide on growing environmental issues, but only if they’re made aware of the importance of recycling and the impact their choices have on the environment. Donors of Recycle Week include some of the world’s most established brands, including Britvic, Co-op, Innocent, Coca Cola and PepsiCo. With support from these huge organisations, Recycle Week is a big deal. So why should your brand get involved?

Why Is Recycle Week Important?

The UK population creates billions of tonnes of waste every year, but hardly any is recycled — or even recyclable. It’s estimated that we use around 35.8 million plastic bottles every day in the UK, but less than half find their way to recycling bins. That means that on average, 16 million plastic bottles end up in landfills daily, which could’ve been used to make clothes, garden furniture or recycled packaging.

If that’s not worrying enough, a brief look at the fast-food packaging waste statistics from recent years will make your stomach turn. So what can be done to counteract such an immeasurable threat to our health and the planet’s health? 

How to Promote Recycle Week This Year

For restaurants, fast-food outlets, coffee houses, street-food vendors and other takeaway businesses, there are several ways to reduce non-recyclable food packaging waste and support Recycle Week:

1. Stop Using Single-Use Plastics

The worst packaging options you could choose are single-use plastics. Plastic bottles and plastic carrier bags stick around for an uncomfortably long time — often for hundreds of years — even though you may only use them for a matter of minutes. Single-use plastics and other non-recyclable synthetic materials cause a significant number of environmental issues, from polluting our oceans to putting our health in jeopardy, so steer clear and opt for more eco-friendly alternatives.

2. Go Green with Recyclable Packaging

Swapping out plastic packaging for recyclable packaging will dramatically reduce the size of your carbon footprint. Your customers will be able to dispose of their takeaways in an eco-friendly way, instead of simply throwing them out with general waste. With grease-proof and water-resistant pizza boxes, you can help improve recycling rates one takeaway at a time, as these high-quality boxes are much less likely to spoil than regular cardboard pizza boxes. 

3. Use Branded Packaging to Promote Recycling 

Want to ensure your packaging gets recycled? Give your customers a nudge in the right direction by promoting recycling with branded packaging. Use the hashtag #recycleweek along with a catchy slogan or some brief instructions on how to dispose of your packaging. This will encourage eco-friendly habits amongst your customers. This is an easy, cost-effective way to start making a difference while promoting your eco-conscious brand.

Celebrating Recycle Week in Style

Recycle Week will be here before you know it, so make sure you’re all set to support one of the UK’s most important environmental awareness days with recyclable packaging. At Takeaway Packaging, all of our packaging products boast a wealth of eco-friendly qualities. They’re recyclable, but they’re also home-compostable and biodegradable. This makes it much easier for everyone to dispose of their packaging in a way that benefits the environment. 

You’ll find our responsibly sourced packaging in our online shop. Our packaging will keep your customers safe as it’s all made from natural, non-toxic materials. Most of our packaging products are already at least 80% recycled too. If you want to make your packaging go further this year, we have plenty of printing options perfectly suited to small runs of branded packaging, and ideal for Recycle Week!

Ready to Step It Up for Recycle Week? Get a free design quote from our expert, in-house team or check out our online shop to celebrate sustainability this year.