This week is European Week for Waste Reduction. Despite the UK no longer being a member of the European Union, we can all take note and acknowledge the EWWR’s mission to raise awareness about waste reduction, product reuse and material recycling strategies.
EWWR week addresses the 3Rs: Reducing waste, Reusing products, Recycling materials – in this order.
Reduce: ask yourselves whether you really need the goods you are about to buy before buying them. That also goes for the packaging in which some products come as well. Can you perhaps repurpose things or borrow from a friend or fix broken objects or share a neighbour’s tools? If the answer is yes, then you can – and should – REDUCE.
Reuse: this is the part where conscientious consumers can really make the difference. Swap single-use items for reusable ones in every area of your life! That’s the case not only for plastic, but for all other single-use items and products! Convince your employer, family, friends, or neighbours to do the same!
Recycling: is better than landfilling, but it’s not our preferred option. Why? If you need to recycle something, it means that you’re already generating waste. If you’re serious about reusing and reducing, recycling should only constitute a small part of your efforts.
Waste Facts
- Waste from UK households: 27.7 million tonnes per year
- Waste per UK household: Almost 1 tonne per year
- Waste per person in the UK: 413 kg per year (over 1 kg per day!)
- Percentage of household waste that is recyclable: 80%
- Percentage of household waste that is recycled in the UK: 45%
- Municipal waste sent to UK landfill: 14 million tonnes per year
- Plastic bottle waste in the UK: 14 billion bottles per year (38 million per day!)
- Percentage of plastic bottles recycled in the UK: 59%
- Paper waste in the UK: 12.5 million tonnes per year
- Percentage of household paper waste recycled in UK: 71%
- Paper going into UK landfill: 5 million tonnes per year (40% of all landfill)
- Glass containers (jars and bottles) used in UK: 5 million tonnes per year
- Percentage of household glass waste recycled in UK: 74%
- Glass containers going into UK landfill: 14 million per day!
- Aluminum cans used in the UK: 12 billion per year
- E-waste generated in the UK: 1.6 million tonnes per year
- Percentage of e-waste recycled in the UK: 54%
(Source https://www.cladcodecking.co.uk/blog/post/uk-recycling-facts-and-statistics)