What World War Two Taught Us About Recycling

Most people consider recycling to be a recent phenomenon, however, there is evidence of recycling from as long ago as 400BC. It was around the mid 1900s though that recycling was first done a mass scale.

During the World War II, resources were hard to come by and Governments ran massive recycling campaigns to ensure as little as possible was wasted. Here are a few examples of what was recycled and for what reason…

- Tins and metal were recycled for use in aircraft, tanks and weapons.

- Left over food provided feed for pigs, chickens and goats and people would bring their scraps to communal bins.

- Rubber was recycled to make new tires.

- Boiled bones were used to make glue for aircraft or made into glycerin for explosives.

People were also encouraged to repair belongings rather than buy new. Campaigns like ‘Make Do & Mend’ gave advice on how to recycle textiles and make clothes last longer. Knitting also became very popular during the Second World War.

On war time rations, families had to plan meals carefully to ensure that food did not go to waste. With no fridges or freezers, perishable food had to be purchased in small quantities and meals were made with some interesting substitutes. Meat fat was saved to make pastry, and even the cream from milk was collected in a jar and shaken to make butter.

It is sad that it took people so long to recognize the importance of recycling, and also that it required such miserable circumstances to draw it to our attention. These days, we realize the importance of recycling to preserve the Earth’s resources, save money, reduce pollution and help combat climate change.

However, we are still falling well below targets for diverting waste from landfill sites. Though we know what we should be doing, and though it is not difficult for us to do it, there is still a very much laid back attitude to recycling. Too many of us simply cannot be bothered to recycle.

The uses of recyclable materials are different now from what they were 60 years ago, but we can still look to our grandparents and the older generations for tips and inspiration. If they could do it, then why can’t we recycle too? We should all be doing what we can now, and not be waiting for a major crisis to kick-start us into mass recycling again.
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Ware 4 Recycling Bins Ltd have been promoting cost effective recycling bins, trolleys and waste containers for over 5 years.