Recycling Issues

It would be very difficult for us not to notice that the world around us is changing – the way we view it, its climate and the landscape. We are becoming a society that understands that we have to take responsibility for our actions and our lifestyles and this will eventually affect everything that we do.

Londoners produce 3.4 million tonnes of rubbish a year, which is enough to fill Canary Wharf tower every 10 days. Yet waste analysis has found that 60 per cent of what we throw out could be recycled. Despite this, the problem is getting worse as we buy more packaged and disposable goods.

Please take a moment to consider how you can reduce, reuse & recycle: from turning off your computer at the end of the day, to turning off the lights of a classroom or an office, to using scrap paper to print non-essential print jobs and the simplest of all, recycling as much as you can.

Reduce:The amount of energy you consume and start using renewable energy sources, such as solar power. Sign up for green energy with your local power provider.

Reuse: By using products made with recycled materials. Make or buy a compost bin to use your organic waste as fertilizer for your trees, shrubs, and garden.

Recycle: All materials to your best ability in your local area.

It is all about showing respect. Respect for ourselves, the way others are treated, and the environment that we live in.

Did you know?!

• If you throw away 2 aluminum cans, you waste more energy than 1,000,000,000 (one billion) of the world's poorest people use a day.
• About 90% of the energy used in lighting a standard light bulb is lost as heat.
• Air conditioning uses 10 times more energy than a fan, therefore, it creates 10 times the pollutants.
• There are about 500 million automobiles on the planet, burning an average of 2 gallons of fuel a day. Each gallon releases 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air.
• About 80% of our trash goes to landfills, 10% is incinerated, and 10% is recycled.
• Since there is little oxygen underground, where we bury our garbage, to help bacteria eat the garbage, almost nothing happens to it. Scientists have dug into landfills and found ears of corn still intact after 20 years, and newspapers still readable after 30.

Why not follow our top tips for saving energy: -

• Unplug mobile phone chargers.
• Switch all your light bulbs to low energy versions.
• Turn off lights that are not in use.
• Turn off other electric things, when not in use.
Use rechargeable batteries.
• Do things manually instead of electrically, like open cans by hand.
• Use fans instead of air conditioners.
• In winter, wear a sweater instead of turning up your thermostat.
• Whenever possible, use a bus or subway, or ride your bike or walk.
• Use recycled paper and/or recycle it.
• Reuse old papers.
• Don't buy products that may have been made at the expense of the rainforest.
• Avoid products that are used once, then thrown away.
• Buy products with little or no packaging.
• REDUCE, REUSE, & RECYCLE.
• Buy recycled products.

Start Recycling?!

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