Whilst we might not think about it when we are filling our bins at home, anything we dispose of simply does not disappear when the council comes to collect our bins. It instead goes into landfill where it can take years if not decades to decompose. Here is a look at some of the ways you can reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.
Reduce waste at work
One of the biggest producers of waste is big companies. No matter what industry you work in, whether it is retail, production, or even an office, it is highly likely that your premises will produce a huge amount of waste every day. Whilst many people will just consider this to be simply the result of a large number of people producing a large amount of work in the same building, there are a lot of changes any business can make to reduce this waste. For example, one of the biggest problems for any business is the amount of cardboard they need to dispose of every week. Whether it is wrapped around stock they need to sell or simply supplies they need to run the business, it seems virtually everything gets delivered to a business in some sort of cardboard box. Even if you have a few of these cardboard boxes stored waiting to be recycled, they can take up a lot of room. If the recycling storage space gets filled quickly, it might even persuade people to dispose of it in landfill instead. If this is a problem within your workplace, urge your boss to invest in equipment like those sold at recyclingbalers.com which reduce the impact of recycling waste on a business. These devices gather and compact waste into smaller bundles, so they cause less problems whilst you are waiting for a recycling company.
Recycling at home
Even though you might not produce as much waste at home as your workplace does, it is still just as important to make sure you recycle as much of your personal waste as possible. Make sure you set up a separate recycling bin next to your normal waste bin inside your house so it is easy to separate your waste. Rinse out any jars, tins, or bottles before putting them in the recycling to reduce the chance of them contaminating the rest of your recycling. Also check your local council’s website to see exactly what you can put in your recycling bin, as any non-recyclable waste thrown in the bin could cause problems further down the line.
Stop using single use materials
The simplest way to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill is to simply stop using single-use materials. Instead of buying bottles of water, simply buy a reusable bottle and fill it up from a tap. When you go to the butchers, bring reusable containers to carry your meat in instead of relying on them to wrap it up in single use plastic. Many products like hand soap and shampoos now sell their products in pouches that you can use to refill bottles rather than buying a new bottle every time. All these small changes can have a big impact on the environment.
