WASTE REDUCTION
The existence of waste is an indicator of inefficiency in our world. Poor waste practices and treatment of the environment in the past have not only led to the degradation of our water, air, and land resources, but has also created a big financial burden to current and future generations.
Waste reduction can help save the earth's resources - the minerals, oil, petroleum, plants, animals, soil and water that are the raw materials of all the products we purchase and consume. By reducing our consumption, also reduces water and energy, limits pollution and lessens global warming by cutting down on the extraction, harvesting, construction, transportation and distribution of new products.
A change of behaviour is urgently required. As individuals we can learn to avoid, reduce, reuse, refuse, refill, repair, regift, recycle, repurpose and rethink, with the journey ending with zero waste.
Food Waste
Food waste is a huge global issue, both for the environment as well as the economy. Currently around a third of all the food produced in the world is lost or wasted. But it’s not just the food that gets wasted, it is also the water, land, energy and labour that goes into producing and transporting the food that becomes part of the waste stream.
Below are some tips on how you can make a difference to help reduce food waste:
- Plan meals to help ensure you only buy the food you need
- Understand the difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates
- Use up leftovers to make new meals
- Build a compost bin in your garden and recycle organic waste
- Choose imperfect looking fruit and vegetables and do some food preserving
- Invest in storage solutions that keep food fresher for longer
- Use your freezer to store food before it goes off
- Learn how fermentation can save food and repurpose it
E-Waste
E-waste is any electronic product, or product containing electronic components, that has reached the end of its usable life cycle. Millions of tons of e-waste is generated around the world each year, containing many valuable finite raw materials such as gold, silver and platinum. Limiting the amount of consumer electronics can help to conserve earth’s resources and reduces the amount of energy we take from the earth.
Electronics also contain toxic substances. When electronics are improperly disposed and end up in landfills, toxic chemicals are released, impacting the earth’s air, soil, water and ultimately, human health.
Consider your own electronic usage and how you can go about minimising your E-waste impact.
This may include:
- Extending the life of your electronics. Buy protective cases for mobile items, keep your device clean, and avoid overcharging the batteries.
- Buy environmentally friendly electronics and take note of energy star ratings.
- Donate used electronics
- Try small equipment repair rather than throwing away to landfill
- Properly dispose of broken electronics and batteries in e-waste recycling collection points or programs
Textile Waste
We are currently living in the era of fast fashion. Fast fashion focuses on quick manufacturing, with a view to producing inexpensive, current and short-lived fashion with the intention that it can be affordably replaced by the next fashion trend as soon as it arises. Globally the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
Fast fashion results in masses of raw materials (not all of which are sustainably produced), energy and water expenditure during production, pollution from textile manufacturing including dying and washing, supporting unfair conditions and wages for mass production sites, and also amounts to a large proportion of clothing, footwear and accessories being sent to landfill.
Currently in Western society, individuals consume around 27 kilograms of new clothing each year and dispose of 23 kilograms each year.
Sustainable fashion on the other hand considers the environmental, social and health impact of the design, manufacture and disposal of clothing, footwear and accessories, with the aim to minimise any adverse effects of the textile industry.
Consider different aspects of your fashion purchases and to support businesses that take a sustainable approach to fashion.
Some tips include:
- Purchase fewer items of better quality
- Buy locally made products
- Choose products made from recycled and environmentally friendly materials. Synthetic materials like polyester, nylon and acrylic contain plastic that can take thousands of years to decompose and remain in our environment as microplastics.
- Appropriately dispose of fashion at the end of its useful life, either by recycling or upcycling
Building Waste
Building and construction waste contributes to at least 40% of all landfill. This waste mainly includes soil, concrete-based masonry, bricks and tiles, and timber. Renovating or demolishing a house to build a new one generates up to 200 tonnes of 'waste'. However around 80% of this material could be re-used or recycled, saving vast quantities of energy, water, resources and money.
Some common materials that present opportunities to recycle and reuse include:
- Steel – which can be melted and reused for new steel products
- Aluminium – can be 100% recycled and reduces embodied energy by 95%
- Gypsum plasterboard – can be recycled, as disposing it in landfill produces toxic chemicals
- Timber – can be directly reused or turned into horticultural mulch. Any new timber should be sustainably sourced timber.
- Concrete - can be crushed and recycled for new concrete or road base fill.
- Glass - can be reused as an aggregate for concrete
- Bricks and tiles can either be directly reused or crushed for backfill, aggregate and gravel
- Plastics – some are recyclable and therefore can be reused to make new products.
Make a Difference Today!
Being conscious of the social, environmental, and financial implications of different waste streams created through our own consumption decisions, can lessen our impact and make the world a healthy, more sustainable place.
Educating ourselves is important too. Learn more about reducing waste and living more sustainable through our online courses. These can be started at any time and complete at your own pace. All courses include practical exercises to help build your skills as your knowledge develops. Get in touch with our course advisors today!