The Rubbish Book: A Complete Guide to Recycling

by James Piper

Plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, aluminium cans… we all get through a lot of rubbish, but do you really know what happens after you put it in the bin? Do you even know which bin it goes in? Recycling has never been more important – but it has also never been more complicated. The Rubbish Book answers these questions and more, providing you with all the information you need to become a true recycling expert, so you can help protect the planet with confidence. Written by an award-winning sustainability professional, it includes an A–Z of waste items and whether they can be recycled, a break-down of what the recycling symbols on our packaging actually mean, and an insight into the future of recycling and the new materials that will change how we look at rubbish for ever.

Paperback

Published February 17, 2022

Reviews

[Aurélie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a gem and everyone in the UK should read it! I’ve learned a lot, it’s packed with useful infos. I discovered that I was doing some things wrong, and now I’m confident to become better at Refuse, Reuse and Recycle ♻️

[Paul Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This meticulously researched and comprehensive guide to UK recycling offers valuable insights not only for industry experts, but also for the general public seeking to better understand the complexities of UK waste management. As someone who keeps a close eye on developments in this field and is familiar with the subject matter, I found that author Piper successfully expanded and enriched my existing knowledge.

The guide is presented in an accessible and engaging manner, making it an ideal resource for readers of various backgrounds. Its clear and concise explanations ensure that the information is easily digestible, while its well-organized structure allows for convenient reference. Overall, this is a must-have addition to any library for those interested in deepening their understanding of recycling practices in the United Kingdom.

[Kat Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Part of the book describes process of rubbish collection and recycling, part of it is more of a repository of different types of rubbish. I’ve learned lots to despair of my friends and husband who are on the receiving end of me sharing this knowledge.

[TJ Bourke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Total rubbish from start to finish. Loved it.

[Pixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book appears as a comprehensive & detailed analysis & 'how-to' about recycling & the issues involved but I felt it fell short of actually discussing in detail the financing of recycling programmes (other than the reliance on Councils to initiate collection) & no mention is made of the investment side, whereby there could be more financing incentives for recycling start-ups for innovative re-use recycling. A lot of jargon is provided, e.g. MRFs (Materials Recovery Facilities) & NIRs (near infrared technology) along with much fairly comprehensive detail about all the various plastics that recyclers have to deal with--which the author supposes will be dealt with by future technologies. There is little discussion about the consumer end of matters, e.g. flat dwellers are unlikely to be able to participate in 'food waste' programmes (& many of us live in blocks in flats) nor the fact that the schemes are heavily reliant on the assumed regularity of waste removal companies (e.g. Veolia & Biffa for example) doing the street-side pick-up job; similarly, the books shows that there is a lot of reliance put on supermarkets to provide recycling containers in their car parks (only convenient for car-owners mostly) & which often become overfilled & create eyesore mess. The author's approach seems very middle of the road, yes, let's talk about rubbish & its recycling complexities but actual consumer difficulties & reliance on supermarkets & local Councils to move the stuff along somehow misses out on the total picture of what is really needed. Nonetheless, I came away with 2 interesting facts, that brown & black plastics cannot be recycled as they can't be read by sensors on recycling centre conveyor belts & that glass can relatively easily be re-cycled over & over again (who knew!).