Recycling

Many of the products we consume in vast quantities, like fuel, have a limited supply. By recycling or reusing things we can not only save resources but also reduce pollution by manufacture and reduce the size of landfill sites. If everyone recycled their rubbish, it would have a considerable impact on the environment. For example, if we all recycled our newspapers, about 2.8 billion papers would be diverted from landfill each year, raising the total amount of waste paper recycled by nine per cent. If you notice anyone fly-tipping or polluting, you can call the Environment Agency on 0800 807060.

Roughly two thirds of your household rubbish can be recycled by doorstep collection services or by taking them to recycling banks. The following materials will be collected by your local council’s recycling service:

• Glass
• Paper
• Cardboard
• Aluminium
• Steel
• Plastics

Before you throw out your unwanted possessions, try giving them to somebody who can use them through charity shops or organisations like Freecycle, or break them down into re-useable parts. Many charities offer free posting or collection to get rid of recyclable waste:

• The Oil Care Campaign has installed a number of oil banks across the country for waste engine oil, thinners, white spirit, paint or any other chemical. Large volumes of paint can also be redistributed to decorators via the organisation Community RePaint.
• Printer cartridges, mobile phones and PDAs are collected for free by The Recycling Appeal.
• Rechargeable batteries are better for the environment than disposable batteries. Disposeable batteries are considered hazardous waste and should be recycled. Local councils or garages sometimes offer battery-recycling services, or contact the manufacturer to find out how to recycle them.
• You can dispose of used appliances by returning them to the manufacturer or taking them to a waste disposal facility. Some councils will also accept electrical products at their recycling centres.

Compost

The average UK household wastes £424 a year on food that gets thrown away. This means that the energy used and pollution caused by packaging and transporting it also for nothing. Furthermore, if the food is disposed of at a landfill site, it has no productive value and merely contributes to greenhouse gas emissions by producing methane. Turning your organic waste and garden refuse into compost returns nutrients to the soil and reduces the devastation of peat bogs used for fertilizer.

Next page: Conserving water