Rubbish. We all create it, in varying amounts. Some zero wasters manager to produce just one small bag of trash per year. Likely most of us don’t manage that, but we can all create less rubbish, by living simpler lives. Say No to Waste is a nice little book on making positive changes without radically altering your lifestyle. This book suggests 101 simple ways to cut down on waste, from unnecessary packaging to recycling old household items to drastically reducing food waste. Find it easy to take the first step, and make a difference.
No More Rubbish Excuses looks at where your rubbish ends up – from the litter on our streets to plastic in our seas to overflowing landfills and fatbergs. We are all responsible for the waste we make, and can make simple changes to live more planet-friendly lives. Expert eco campaigner Martin Dorey looks at what we recycle, what we bin, what we take to the tip (plastic, food, clothing, electricals and furniture) and where it goes – and what it does to our planet. Then he offers simple 2-minute solutions to cut down on waste, and explains why they make a big difference.
Switch to Compostable Bin Liners
This pack of 25 compostable bin liners are ideal to replace standard plastic bags in your kitchen. Plastic-free and non-toxic, the bags are 30 litres in size (also as 50 litres or 10 liters), and made with high quality plant-based bio-polymer Mater Bi™️. They are also reinforced to prevent leaks, and break down into harmless organic waste, at end of use. Designed for general waste, they also degrade much faster than standard plastic bin liners, even if not composted.
You can also buy a multi-pack which includes 5 rolls and 125 bags that can be used in small bins or compost caddies.
Landfills Aren’t So Lovely
Landfills are pretty nasty places, and it’s not a very nice job, so always give the landfill guys a tip at Christmas! The nasty smell actually comes mostly from rotting paper, though there are lots of worse things there. You can usually find different areas to deposit things, from toxic waste to chemicals, paints and pesticides.
If you use disposable razors, put them in a blade bank (only costs a few pounds) before throwing them out, this stops wildlife and seagulls getting cut on landfills, if they come across them. Give seagulls back their natural home (the sea) and they won’t be attracted so much to urban areas.
Weir Bags make gull-proof sacks, you can empty these into a truck and then use them again. Some councils gave up using them as they found they were not windproof enough, but others say they are better than black plastic bags, as gulls and foxes can’t rip open the black bags to devour the contents.
Landfills have huge environmental problems, because rotting waste gives off methane and other gases, which contribute to climate change. Organic wastes like chlorine (used to bleach paper and toilet paper) can also cause problems, resulting in odours, and infestation by seagulls to rats. Electronic waste can also give off environmental hazardous gases, and liquids can pollute our water supplies. Especially in rainy countries like England.
Landfilled tyres are a fire hazard, as are chemical wastes. Around 25% of all landfill waste is apparently from disposable nappies. And the lack of oxygen means even biodegradable waste (like fruits and vegetables) take longer than they should, to break down.
One solution to building more landfill is waste-to-energy that heats and melts the waste into a gas, which is then used instead of coal or nuclear. This can offer green energy and reduce climate change at the same time. Fruits and vegetables could be composted, to be sold back at cheap prices to the public as community compost (avoid cocoa, pine and rubber mulch near pets – see make your garden safe for pets for alternatives). The other obvious alternative is recycling, but many items cannot be recycled (paper eventually breaks down so that it is no longer good to make into paper, when the fibres get too short). So using less is key.
