Can you believe these are all made out of recycled plastic
IT SEEMS hardly a day goes by when we don’t learn something new about the terrible damage done to the Earth by the huge amount of plastic we throw away each year.
Conscientious households, horrified by stories of polluted seas and human health risks from the toxic chemicals released as plastic breaks down, are trying to cut consumption of plastic cups, containers and packaging.
This is a vital positive change — but it can feel insignificant compared to the mountain of waste plastic that already exists.
Thankfully, innovators are now finding clever ways to re-purpose plastic — in some cases, even after it has been washed out to sea. All sorts of plastic ‘waste’ is now being recycled to make new products.
Manufacturer Procter & Gamble has launched Fairy washing-up liquid bottles made entirely of recycled plastic, 10% of which is recovered from the sea. Meanwhile, the company’s Head & Shoulders will release shampoo bottles made with 25% recovered ‘beach plastic’.
And there are some surprisingly stylish household items you’d never believe were made from old bottles.
‘Plastic exists in huge quantities already — we need to stop making more of it and, instead, tackle the mountain of plastic in a creative way. The possibilities are endless,’ says Tasha Green, of Weaver Green, a company that recycles plastic from the sea and landfill sites into homewares, including turning old bottles into a ‘yarn’ with the soft feel of natural wool.
Everything from furniture to toys, stationery, clothes and even duvets and pillows can now be made of recycled plastic. Even better, many can be recycled again at the end of their lives.
So, if you want to give your home a chic, environmentally-friendly makeover, have a look at our pick of the best recycled plastics . . .