The Problems
Nature has no concept of waste. Everything in nature depends on re-cycling
as part of the never ending cycle of regeneration, and yet today in our
human throw away culture, we generate so much rubbish that we are running
out of places to put it all. Our wasteful lifestyle needs to change radically
in order to lessen the damage we are doing to our own environments and
the world as a whole. We simply cannot carry on burying and burning rubbish
indefinitely.
Friends of the Earth tell us that: "European laws are forcing the
Government to send less waste to landfill and the landfill tax is rising
to deter businesses and local authorities from landfilling waste which
could be recycled. The money raised from landfill tax should be used to
provide every home in the UK with a doorstep collection for recycling
and composting."
However, according to Friends of the Earth, the Government
is instead:
- Replacing landfill with incinerators.
- Dumping toxic incineration ash in existing landfill sites.
Although household waste represents only 5% of the total amount of waste
produced in the UK, it is a very significant portion because it contains
organic waste which can cause pollution and materials such as glass and
plastic which do not easily break down.
According to Wasteline, we produce around 27 million
tonnes of household waste in the UK every year. In just one hour we produce
enough waste to fill the Albert Hall!!
And if that's not enough to make you think, consider this: If society
continues to live as wastefully as it does now, we will need a further
EIGHT Earth sized planets to cope, and yet we only have one.
What can we do?
The most effective way of dealing with our waste is not to create
so much in the first place.
This can be very difficult as almost all purchases are either packed
in excessive amounts of plastic and cardboard, or are designed to be used
once and then discarded.
Recycling paper, plastic, carboard, tin and glass, composting kitchen
and garden waste, and using fewer disposables represents around 70% of
our household waste and saves trees, rivers and wildlife. This means less
dangerous household rubbish, less pollution and less land used for landfill.
Detailed information on the environmental and health benefits of recycling
is now widely available (see links) so that consumers can make an informed
choice.
Recycling is positive action which any be undertaken by anybody in order
to help the environment. It encourages us to think about the waste we
create and take responsibility for what happens to it. Therefore, the
greatest advantage of recycling is that in doing it, we raise our own
awareness and that of others which is the first step towards change. As
more people recycle, more recycling plants will be built, more schemes
organised and the impacts of transporting and disposing of waste will
decrease.
Here is a quick guide to living less wastefully
Where possible, DO NOT use:
- paper plates, plastic cutlery
- paper kitchen towel
- bleached new paper products
- disposable razors
- disposable nappies
- disposable sanitary products
- new plastic containers for food storage
Where possible, DO use:
- recycled paper products
- recycled toilet rolls, tissues and kitchen paper
- unbleached products
- terry nappies
- organic or home-made menstrual products (link to more info)
- recyclable shopping bags (sold for 10p each at checkouts and replaced
free)
- re-chargeable batteries
Recycle as much as possible!
Before you buy anything, ask yourself: Do I really need this?
Before you throw anything away, ask yourself: is there is anything
else this can be used for?
- Old clothes can go to charity or make dusters
- Glass jars and bottles can be used to store food instead of using
cling film or plastic bags, or they can be given to jam-making friends
- Plastic bags can be re-used for all manner of things
- Plastic and cardboard cartons and egg boxes: does your local nursery
school/cubs/youth group use this sort of thing for making other things
with (art projects). Local free range egg suppliers will take egg boxes.
- Plastic food containers can be used for freezing home made soup and
holding "leftovers" in the fridge
- Paper from junk mail can be used to make memo pads/shopping lists,
etc
- Compost your organic kitchen waste. This can include raw peelings/scraps,
kitchen towel, and egg shells
Find out if your local authority operates a re-cycling scheme.
Remember that the less you buy, the less you are likely to waste.
