Most of us are probably guilty of throwing something away but not stopping to think what "away" really means. We put our crisp packet in the bin and hey presto, it's gone from our minds. But "away" isn't a magical void, it's a physical place, and your rubbish will stay there until your grandchildren have grandchildren, and likely even longer than that.
Where does the rubbish go?
Most of our rubbish is taken to either landfill or an incinerator. With landfill, most people think that their junk mail and banana peels will break down - it's just a giant compost heap, right? Sadly, the organic waste that is often found in rubbish bins releases methane into our air, trapping heat in our atmosphere and adding to global warming.
You've also got plastic that will stay there for hundreds of years. This might be packaging that can't be recycled, nappies, sanitary products, or crisp packets to name a few. There's also broken ceramics, batteries, pet waste, cling film, food pouches, and often damaged textiles. And this is by no means a complete list! The shameful part is that a lot of this "stuff" could've been recycled.
So is an incinerator better? Honestly, it's a trade-off. An incinerator reduces waste volume but the toxic ashes still need to be buried. Instead of releasing methane, it releases carbon dioxide, which is still harmful to our atmosphere in the large quantities that you get from incinerators. Whichever way you look at it, our waste is hurting our planet.
What about recycling?
Recycling is a great option but unfortunately even that comes with its problems. Some things are easy to recycle - aluminium is a perfect example - but the UK uses far more plastic than aluminium every year, and plastic's very difficult to recycle.
Without a doubt, the mantra "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" is still what should be guiding us. Reducing and reusing has the biggest impact, and once these are exhausted, recycling is where we should be going to next.
Ways to reduce and reuse
There are so many ways that we can "reduce and reuse" but some of the easiest options are:
- buying in bulk (reduces packaging)
- buying from a local shop instead of online (reduces packaging)
- choosing loose fruits and vegetables instead of pre-wrapped options
- rent or borrow items (books, tools, party supplies) that you may only need once
- buy concentrated cleaners like laundry strips (reduces packaging and transport emissions)
- switch from disposable to reusable products
- use glass jars as flower vases, tealight holders, or to store items you bulk-buy
- Use the back of letters as a shopping list, to-do list, or for kids to draw on and be creative with - it's the perfect scrap paper!
We can also look beyond the 3 Rs, and think about repairing (electricals, clothing) and refusing (saying no to unnecessary bags, junk mail, straws, or promotional items).
The Bottom Line
Landfill and incinerators are necessary; we cannot eliminate waste. We can however make a shift towards better practices in our homes, so that we're reducing our reliance of single use items, reusing what we can, and recycling as much as possible. So the next time you stand over the bin, pause for a second. Remind yourself that you aren't getting rid of anything, you’re just moving it. Where do you want your footprint to land?
