Waste Management Hierarchy
Reduce
"The most effective way to deal with our waste is not to
create so much in the first place"
Waste prevention is defined as the prevention of waste at
source or eliminating waste before it is created. Minimisation
is reducing the amount of waste that we produce. However,
this is very difficult as almost all purchases are packaged,
and a great deal of what we buy is designed for use once and
then disposed. However, we can make a difference with a little
bit of thought about the products that we buys or how we do
things. For example:
- Bring your own shopping bag to the shops
- Use washable nappies and hankerchiefs
- Purchase refillable containers for cleaners, washing solutions
and detergents whenever possible
- Buy products such as washing up liquid in large containers
to help minimise packaging waste
- Purchase rechargeable batteries rather than disposal batteries
- Use a refillable ink pen rather than a disposable biro
- Avoid disposable products, e.g. nappies, tissues, face
wipes, razors, paper and plastic cups, etc
- Buy a home composter for your garden and kitchen waste
and use it!
- Use a milk delivery service
- Re-use envelopes
- Avoid over packaged products and try to buy unpackaged
products
- When items break, try to repair them rather than replace
them
- Buy products in returnable containers wherever possible
- Use resealable containers for school or work packed lunches
- Pass on any unwanted clothes and furniture to friends,
charities or second-hand shops
- Avoid using cling film and aluminium foil. Use a box with
a lid instead
- Buy products made from recycled materials
Reuse
Re-use is on the third level of the Waste Management Hierarchy.
If a product is reused, in the same state, the product has
gone through no additional manufacturing. So reusing means
there is no more need for energy consumption and no extra
raw materials required.
Many of us reuse without thinking twice about it, like getting
a pair of shoes re-heeled or buying a second hand car. However,
many of the things we use could be repaired, and have their
life extended instead of being thrown away. A good example
of re-use is to donate items such as clothes, bric-a-brac,
books, etc to a charity shop
Recycle
Recycling is the processing of waste manufactured products
to provide the raw materials to make new ones.
Recycling uses less energy and causes less pollution than
using raw materials. It also reduces the demand for imported
raw material and the amount of waste being sent for disposal.
However, for recycling to be economically feasible and recycling
schemes to be successful, there must be markets into which
the materials can be sold. The supply of waste materials must
balance demand for recycled products.
This is easier said than done, recycling markets are often
precarious with prices of materials fluctuating. This makes
it difficult to obtain long-term markets for recycled materials.
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