According to statistics an estimated two hundred and ninety million tonnes of rubbish is generated by the UK population. Recycling prevents over eighteen million tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. Recycling has increased and in some counties is mandatory, but still much of the waste that could be recycled is neglected. Composting is something that many people cannot or won’t do. If people live in apartment blocks and have no garden it is impossible for them to compost easily, but those with a garden area could easily set up their own composting corner.
Most local authorities, for instance, recycling in Newcastle, provide facilities to households by way of rubbish collection. A bin for each type of material is supplied and then collected once a week or once a fortnight. Many authorities have had to expand their recycling efforts in order to meet the government targets set out by the four UK parliaments.
The UK also has the new WEEE system of safe disposal of household appliances. This system—Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment—allows for recycling of such items in a safe manner. Fridges, for example, contain dangerous gases that can harm humans and the environment and it is no longer legal to throw a fridge in s skip and just get rid of it. Now, the fridge has to be disposed of responsibly by an authorized waste management company and they must follow very strict guidelines and rules.
Over forty percent of UK households actually recycle every year compared to previous years at only eleven percent. This figure has grown slowly and is still on the increase, but there is always something more we can do. As humans we produce over eight million tonnes food waste in a year and this is way too high. We need to cut that down by recycling as much as possible as well as wasting less food in the first place. The days when we had leftovers for dinner the next day seem to have gone, in favor of quick microwave meals that end up was a cardboard cover and plastic container being added to the garbage bin too. These packages are mostly bio-degradable now, but in the past were not and this is part of the reason why we are now being more vigilant about waste. Landfills are getting fuller and there is less room to throw out our garbage than there used to be and less places to put it, short of shipping it to the moon.
Glass, aluminium and plastic can be saved and made into new bottles, cans and tins simply by recycling. Waste management companies are expected to follow government policy when it comes to recycling and managing hazardous materials. They are fully versed in the laws and must adhere to them.
