Waste, Recycling and Reuse
The world cannot continue to use raw material and produce waste at the current rates. As standards of living increase, people can afford to buy consumer goods such as cars, fridges, mobile phones and televisions. The manufacture of these goods is using up the planet’s resources faster than they are being produced which means that supplies will run out. Furthermore, computers for example, cannot easily be recycled because they contain harmful chemicals.
In general, people living in cities produce twice as much waste as those in the country, mostly due to their dependence on pre-packed goods. As 2/3 of the world’s population live in cities and this number is growing, the waste problem will get worse. The answer to this is to use the world’s resources in a sustainable way.
Many raw materials used come from un-sustainable sources while the waste may take many years to break down, and may even produce toxic by-prducts. Landfill sites are filling up. It is paramount therefore that we reduce, reuse and recycle all waste.
Different solutions can be applied. For instance, manufacturers can work together so the waste product of one manufacturer become the raw materials of another, known as zero waste. Another way forward it to make greater use of sustainable sources for making materials, such as plastic which can be made from the plant oil seed rape. People should be encouraged not to replace possessions such as phones or computers every few years. Taxes could be introduced on materials that cannot be recycled. A sensible alternative to buying a new computer could be to buy a second hand mac or pc, which means that technically it is being recycled. Government could make suppliers meet higher environmental standards, such as hybrid vehicles to reduce fossil fuels. At home we can help by having a compost heap in the garden, using energy efficient light bulbs, insulating roofs and recycling glass, metal, plastic and paper. At the shops we can decline a plastic bag. When making decisions between 2 similar items, we can look to see if there is information about the recycled content and avoid products with excess packaging.
