Something old, something new
Some gardening tools are already made from recycled materials. They have to be able to withstand years of demanding use in everyday gardening with functionality and quality perfectly on a par with tools made from new plastic. The majority of recycled plastic is made from household waste, such as film and packaging.
There are several steps on the journey from yoghurt pot to garden shears:
- First, the waste is sorted by type of plastic and pressed into bales of each type. This process is so much more productive if people sort their waste at home.
- After another sorting stage, the bales are cleaned and shredded.
- The shredded plastic is then dried and compressed to form a granular material ready for further processing. But it’s not just plastic that can be recycled – metal can be reused in garden tools too.