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did you know?
Every year, 8 billion plastic bags are given away by supermarkets and shops. This is equivalent to over 130 bags for every person in the UK. These will take up to 450 years to degrade.
A forest as big as Wales is needed every year to supply all the paper for the UK.

The average person throws away 74kgs of organic waste a year, equivalent to 1077 banana skins.

3.2 billion aluminium cans are still going into landfill (approximately 50,000 tonnes), equivalent to burying the Titanic every year.

Waste Minimisation

The amount of waste that each one of us generates is constantly on the increase, which puts pressure on landfill space and natural resources. By minimising the waste we produce we can have a positive effect on our environment.

Producing waste can be avoided by reducing it at source, before recovery or recycling.

The waste hierarchy indicates that we should:

REDUCE > RE-USE > RECYCLE > RECOVER

As a householder, there are many ways in which to minimise the quantity of waste we create.

1) Buying products without excessive packaging
Many products are sold with excessive amounts of unnecessary packaging. By being aware of this when shopping, it is simple to begin reducing the amount of materials which will ultimately be disposed of. For example, buying loose, instead of pre-packaged fruit or vegetables.

2) Refill containers
Some products (such as detergents or cosmetics) have refills which can be decanted into the original container or dispenser.

3) Choose a re-useable box or bag, instead of carrier bags
Avoid using many carrier bags by re-using a box or strong shopping bag. This will dramatically reduce the amount of waste created.

Industry also has a large part to play in waste minimisation. For every tonne of end product, there will be 10 tonnes of raw materials wasted.

The benefits of waste minimisation include:

  • Conserving valuable natural resources
  • Reducing energy consumption
  • Reducing pollution
  • Reducing greenhouse gasses
  • Reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill for final disposal
 
 
 
   
   
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