Waste
Prevention and Minimisation
What is waste minimisation?
Waste minimisation aims to eliminate waste before it is
produced and reduce its quantity and toxicity. Waste
prevention represents the most favourable waste management option -
do not generate the waste. By not generating waste, we can eliminate
the need to handle, transport, treat and dispose of waste. We can
also avoid having to pay for these services. Prevention is the primary
goal, followed by reuse, recycling, treatment and appropriate disposal.
Why minimise waste?
Population increase and high consumption of products in the developed
world has created a global waste problem. Affluence has created
effluence - the more we have, the more we have to dispose of safely.
Scientists now believe we're producing more waste than the environment
can absorb. The benefits of minimising waste include:
- reducing demand for landfill space,
- saving resources and energy,
- reducing pollution, and
- increasing the efficiency of production.
If each one of us changes the way we think and act, together we can reduce the amount of waste we make and get rid of.
Some simple ways of minimising waste
Always
carry a reusable shopping bag with you - don't accept every paper
bag you are offered.
Only
buy what you need - buy more & you'll throw it out!
Drink
tap water instead of bottled water - keep a jug in the fridge.
Buy
loose fruit & veg not pre-packaged - weigh vegetables separately
but put them all in the one bag. Choose products that are minimally
packaged or with packaging which can be recycled.
Try
to source locally produced food to cut down on ‘food miles’ or
grow your own
Compost
organic waste from your kitchen & garden.
Choose
durable products that will last longer (eg. Choose reusable napkins
not disposable ones).
Bring
a lunchbox to school/work instead of using foil or cling film.
When
using paper - use both sides of the page. Send emails whenever
possible and never print them.
Bring
old glasses back to the optician for use in the developing world.
Bring
all your household batteries to the collection points in libraries &
offices across the county.
Recycle
ink jet/toner cartridges & mobile phones through your supplier.
Buy
a bagless vacuum cleaner or one with reusable/washable bags.
Donate
books, old clothes & toys to charity shops and jumble sales.
Use
Styrofoam or broken crockery as drainage in plant pots.
Fit
a water butt to collect water from the roof. Rain water is better
for many plants and you can also use it for washing the car. Use a
bucket to wash the car in preference to a hose.
Grow
plants that require less water succulents such as Sedums, Lavender,
Hebes, Periwinkle, Iris, Geraniums, Oriental Poppies, Rosemary,
Pheasant Grass, Marigolds, Petunias, Alyssum, Campanula, Heuchera,
Aquilegia, Evening Primrose, Buddleia, Rockrose, and Thyme. Plants
with silver, blue or grey leaves, spiky or furry soft leaves are
generally not so thirsty.
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