What’s the problem with waste?
According to Waste Watch, in the UK we produce enough rubbish to fill the Albert Hall every two hours.
Using the Earth’s natural resources to create products that we quickly throw away is not sustainable. Manufacturing and distributing the goods, and then getting rid of them has a significant effect on CO2 emissions.
Countries all over the world are struggling to cope with their waste
In Europe, half a tonne of municipal waste was produced per person in 2007 and as the world’s population grows, global waste figures are set to soar.
A recent study by Veolia Environmental Services estimates that we already produce as much as four billion tonnes of waste a year worldwide but reuse, recover or recycle barely a quarter of that amount.
Who is wasting the most and why?
Generally, wealthier countries produce most waste. People buy more than they need, from food and drink to clothes and gadgets.
According to the latest Eurostat figures on waste, in the UK we produce an average of about 500kg of rubbish per person every year.
How does the UK compare to the rest of Europe?
When it comes to waste, we rank in the middle. The Danes generate the most at an average of 802kg per person, and the Czech Republic produce the least with 306kg per person
The good news is that many countries that produce a lot of waste are effective at dealing with it. Denmark may have produced the most, but it also incinerated more than any other country (54%).
In the UK we throw away one million tonnes of e-waste every year
From mobile phones and hairdryers to games consoles and laser printers, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is one of the fastest growing types of rubbish in Europe.
E-waste can pose serious health problems. The reason: Some electronic equipment can contain hazardous or toxic materials which can be released as the equipment decays.
What’s happening in the rest of the world?
Rapidly growing countries such as India and China will increase both demand and then subsequent waste of e-products.
Can I recycle my old gadgets?
All electrical goods makers and retailers in Europe are expected to help support the collection and recycling of WEEE. So when you buy a new washing machine, they might offer to take back your old one, or tell you where you can drop it off and have it recycled for free.
Fixing the problem is all about reducing, reusing and recycling
Every year in the UK the average family uses around 330 glass bottles and jars, and 600 steel cans. Add the 4kg of paper that, on average, every household throws away each week, and that’s a lot of rubbish that could be recycled.
Recycling does make a difference and is one of the best ways to deal with waste. Current paper, card, glass, plastics and metals recycling in the UK every year is estimated to save the equivalent amount of CO2 as taking five million cars off the road.
It also prevents rubbish decomposing in landfills and releasing methane, littering streets, or clogging up seas and becoming a threat to marine life and birds.
There are plenty of financial incentives to reducing waste too. Look out for companies that will take your old mobile phones, printer cartridges and books in exchange for cash.
Key Facts
- The average UK citizen will generate 3.3 tonnes of electronic waste in their lifetime
- Around 30 million tonnes of household waste is generated in the UK every year, and around 5.9 million tonnes of this waste is packaging
Useful Links
Recycle Now www.recyclenow.com
Waste Watch www.wastewatch.org.uk
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