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10 weird and wonderful recycling facts

Recycling quiz

We all know the basics of recycling. Or at least, we think we do.

But beyond separating cardboard from general waste and remembering which bin goes out this week, there’s a whole world of recycling facts that are far more surprising than you might expect.

Everyday materials can have some remarkable second lives. Modern recycling technology can recover resources in ways that would once have seemed impossible. And some of the things we routinely throw away are considerably more useful than they look.

There are also plenty of recycling myths and misconceptions doing the rounds. Things that seem obvious aren’t always right, while some facts sound so unlikely that you’d be forgiven for thinking somebody made them up.

We’ve put together ten questions covering some of the more unusual and interesting recycling facts we’ve come across. Some are practical. Some are downright strange. And some might just make you look at your rubbish a little differently.

So, how much do you really know about recycling?

A surprisingly tricky recycling quiz

 

Ten questions. Plenty of surprises. How many can you get right?

 

1 / 10

You’re not sure whether a shiny food wrapper is aluminium foil or plastic film. What’s the quickest way to check?

 

2 / 10

What can worn-out Bank of England polymer banknotes eventually be turned into?

 

3 / 10

How many banana peels does it take to generate enough energy to fully charge a laptop?

 

4 / 10

Compared with mined gold ore, how much more concentrated can the gold in discarded mobile phones be?

 

5 / 10

What unusual recycled material was used to make every medal awarded at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games?

 

6 / 10

Which of these has actually been made using recycled chewing gum?

 

7 / 10

In 2023, approximately how many fires in UK bin lorries and waste sites were linked to crushed vapes and lithium batteries?

 

8 / 10

Which of these waste materials has actually been used to resurface roads in Wales?

 

9 / 10

On parts of the UK coast, what have old Christmas trees been used for after the festivities are over?

 

10 / 10

You break a drinking glass. Should it go into the recycling with your glass bottles and jars?

 

Your score is

The average score is 67%

0%

How did you do?

90–100%
Recycling mastermind
Cracking score. You clearly know your rubbish – in the nicest possible sense.

70–80%
Recycling whizz
Very respectable. Only a couple of recycling curveballs caught you out.

50–60%
Recycling detective
Solid sleuthing. And now you’ve uncovered some new recycling facts along the way.

0–40%
Recycling rookie
Never mind the score – you know considerably more about banana peels and old nappies than you did five minutes ago.