RECYCLED PRODUCTS

Recycling, be it glass bottles, milk cartons or reclaimed timber from demolition sites, is a term that many Australians have now come to embrace. In many ways, the concept of 'recycling' was responsible for making everyday cosumers aware that their actions in the home have consequences elsewhere. Fortunately, when consumers become aware of these matters, governments soon follow suit and importantly, so does business and industry.

As a result of innovation in product design, recycled and recycled-content products are now readily available on the Australian market. Recycled products include but are not limited to:

• Recycled Plastic Products - These include park benches, fence-posts, construction and road materials, furniture, food containers, bottles, office supplies, buckets, pegs, packaging and agricultural supplies to name a few;

• Recycled Paper Products - These include paperboard, moulded paper products, macerated paper products and a host of other recycled paper products;

• Recycled Rubber Products - These include building and construction materials, furniture, road safety products, flooring and surface treatments, marine and automotive products, home and office supplies, sporting goods and tyres to name but a few.

The Australian Environmental Labelling Association (AELA) has developed a number of voluntary standards for covering these types of recycled products, to detrmine if they deserve the Australian 'Good Environmental Choice' Label. These can be downloaded below:

GECA 2-2007 - RECYCLED PLASTIC PRODUCTS

GECA 11-2007 - RECYCLED PAPER PRODUCTS

GECA 3-2007 - RECYCLED RUBBER PRODUCTS

GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL CHOICES

• Look for products that have a high recycled content - the more the better.

• Buy paper with at least 30 percent post-consumer recycled content, and encourage your sch ool or workplace to do the same.

• Don't be fooled - Recycled does not mean inferior quality. The majority of recycled products manufactured in Australia must adhere to quality and performance requirements, and more often than not exceed these requirements.

• Recycled products almost always last longer than conventional products that are designed for the same purpose. Consider timber fence posts vs. recycled plastic posts - Which one do you think never needs to be painted, is resistant to termites, rotting, the sun, rain, hail, is more easily cleaned, and doesn't involve cutting down trees? Makes sense doesn't it...