feature: Be a waste watcher!
10 September 2008
The amount of waste we throw away is increasing year by year. Find out how you can help the environment by watching your waste this autumn.
The UK throws away 4.4 million apples, 1 million plums, 1.2 million sausages and 300,000 unopened packs of crisps.
That’s not every year, not every month, and not even every week. This is the amount of food estimated to be thrown away every day in this country.
And it’s not just food. Figures show the amount of general rubbish people are producing in north London is rising steadily by more than two per cent each year.
While the borough’s recycling levels have now risen to more than 25 per cent, even recycling costs money and energy, resulting in carbon emissions which lead to climate change.
That’s why Haringey Council has now joined a campaign across north London to encourage people to think more carefully about what they buy and what they throw away.
Cabinet member for environment and conservation Cllr Brian Haley said:
“The amount of rubbish we are producing is fast becoming one of the biggest issues we’re facing as a country.
“Most waste still goes to landfill, where it produces methane – a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Recycling is clearly much better, but even that leaves a carbon footprint.
“We’ve pledged through our new Greenest Borough Strategy to take action now to improve the environment for future generations.
|Back to top“A major part of that will be moving away from our consumer culture so that we only buy things that we genuinely need.”
You can play your part too
Haringey Council is on the search for residents brave enough to take part in a new challenge to see just how much they can reduce the amount of rubbish they throw away.
The council will be taking part in a north London Watch Your Waste Week from Monday 6 October. Residents who sign up will try to minimise their rubbish during the week both by careful shopping and by reusing, recycling and composting materials.
Everyone taking part will be given an information pack and will receive dedicated advice throughout the week from staff within Haringey Council’s Environmental Resources Team.
If you want to take part, or for more information, call Adam Parvez on 020 8489 5691 or email environmental.resources@haringey.gov.uk
A little bit of give or take
Watch Your Waste Week will also see Haringey’s first ever Give or Take Day, an opportunity for residents to exchange unwanted items that are in decent condition, rather than throwing them away.
4 October, Chestnuts Community Centre, St Ann’s Road N15. Bring your goods from 10am to noon, and take what you want between noon and 2pm.
Dump the junk!
Junk mail. Few people read it. Few people want it. So why not ensure you never receive it?
Simply contact the Mailing Preference Service at www.mpsonline.org.uk (external link) or call 0845 703 4599.
Nappies – keep it real
Currently 8 million disposable nappies are thrown away each day in the UK, with most going to landfill.
Parents who switch to “real” nappies, made from natural materials, can roughly halve their household waste and save hundreds of pounds.
A subsidy of £54 is also available in Haringey to go towards the cost of nappies or laundry services.
Find out more by visiting www.realnappiesforlondon.org.uk (external link)
Food for thought
Across the UK people pay for – but don’t eat – £10 billion of food every year. That’s the equivalent of £420 per household.
And every tonne of food waste is responsible for 4.5 tonnes of Co2 – the main greenhouse gas that leads to climate change.
If we stopped wasting all the food that could be eaten, we could cut a least 18 million tones of CO2 each year. That’s the equivalent of taking one in five cars off the road.
So, thinking carefully about the food you buy won’t just save you money, it will help protect the environment.
You can find tips for keeping food fresher, recipes to use up leftovers and money saving tips for food shopping at the Love Food Hate Waste website in the external links section below.
|Back to topMore information
You can find out more information about reducing your waste by visiting the websites in the external links section below.
Useful External Links
The following links are not part of the Haringey Council website. Please read our legal disclaimer before using these links
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