Reducing waste
On average Australians throw away around 20 million tonnes of waste per year. A lot of this could be avoided.
Here are five easy ways to cut down your waste that can make a big difference to the amount of waste that ends up in landfill.
Rethink
The first step is to simply think about where you dispose of waste.
Around half of the waste entering our landfills is from organic material like food, paper and plant materials. Organic waste produces methane when it decomposes in landfill - methane is a much more damaging greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. This organic material would be better composted at home or by your Council.
Buying products that can be recycled or contain recycled materials helps to keep metals and other useful materials out of landfill.
These products can also reduce the demand for manufacturers to make new materials.
Refuse
A simple refusal can reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.
Refusing plastic bags when you don't need them saves resources and energy used to manufacture the bags. You'll also reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill.
Remember to take your reusable bags out with you though, so you can refuse plastic bags when you don't need them.
Reduce
Almost 10 per cent of our rubbish in landfill is packaging. If you can buy in bulk, you can save money, packaging and transport costs. If not, you could try to choose products that use less packaging.
Reducing the amount of disposable products you use also makes a big difference to your overall level of waste.
Buying or swapping second hand clothes with friends and family can be a cheap and fun way to reduce waste. You can reduce your environmental impact and spend more time with friends and family at the same time.
Reuse
It's amazing how many things can have a second or even third life. If you can't reuse something, there may be someone else who can.
Repairing household items instead of replacing them can be a great way to reduce waste and save money. You might also be helping keep local specialist services like repairers and refurbishers in business.
You might find innovative ways to reuse old bags, containers, building materials, clothing and even unwanted gifts. Things you no longer need could be sold or given to charity rather than thrown in the garbage.
Recycle
If you can't refuse, reduce or reuse, then look for products that you can recycle.
When you buy recycled goods and then recycle them yourself, you are helping to prevent resource waste and reduce the impacts of pollution.
There might be restrictions in your local area on what can be recycled. By finding out how your recycling centre processes your recycling, you can help to ensure that your recycling doesn't end up in landfill. Contact your local council to check the finer details of what is recyclable in your area.
Why do it?
- Save money by only buying what you need
- Reduce the amount of waste you would usually create
- Reduce the amount of methane generated from organic wastes in landfill
Did you know?
Up to 90 per cent of the materials used in a mobile phone can be recycled.
Page last modified: 20 Aug 2009