One of the best ways to go zero waste, is of course to produce less waste in the first place. The term ‘zero waste’ is only a few years old, and simply added two more words to the mantra of ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’. These are ‘refuse’ (don’t buy it in the first place, if you don’t need it). And rot (make sure it goes back to the earth, once used).
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.
- What’s So Bad About Waste?
- Health and Beauty
- Food and Household
- Lifestyle
- Special Occasions
- Habits, Skills and Mindsets
Also read No More Rubbish Excuses, a book that 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
Seep Compostable Bin Liners are sold in three sizes, with 25 bags per roll. Choose 10 litre for small bins and caddies, 30 litre for kitchen bins or 50 litres for large items of waste. These are certified compostable in home or industrial facilities, and made with renewable energy. Keep in a cool dry place (or they will compost!) and they last up to 12 months, then will start to naturally break down. The 30 litre bags are not compatible with Brabantia bins, as these are too long and thin for the bags.
Compostable bin liners have to be used a little differently. They are great but not quite as strong, as they are designed to break down naturally. So take out your rubbish a little more often (to avoid over-filling) and pop some kitchen roll (or an old rag) at the bottom of the liner, to soak up any liquids. Also do not bin hot liquids, grease or dust in compostable bin liners.
Onya Compostable Bin Liners are made by a zero waste company, a great alternative to plastic bin liners that are not compostable, and often torn apart by seagulls and foxes and rodents, which is not safe for them either, due to ingesting plastic. Suitable for both home and industrial composting, each roll contains 25 bags.
Made from plant-based material, these bags are resistant to tears and punctures, and are also certified compostable to international standards, making them ‘worm-safe’ (so no micro plastic residues are left behind). In 4 sizes, they break down in around 12 weeks in industrial composting facilities, or over a longer time (6 to 12 months) in general waste facilities.
As they are compostable, it’s important to use them within 3 to 6 months (keep in a cool dark space), otherwise they will break down and disappear! You also need to empty your bin more frequently, as they don’t deal as well with wet waste (they will start to compost). Try wrapping wet waste in old newspaper before adding to your bin.
Why Landfills Aren’t So Lovely
Landfills. We all know what they are. The smelly noisy places you visit when you have something to throw away, that the council won’t collect, or is not suitable for a charity shop donation. But how much do you know about them? Also see the post on simple ways to use less waste.
The smell at landfills tends to come from rotting paper, though there are worse things there. Always place used razor blades in a blade bank, to prevent wildlife and seagull injuries. Weir Bags make gull-proof sacks, you can empty these into a truck and use them again (they are not windproof, but better than black plastic bags that often can be ripped open by fulls and foxes to devour the contents).
Landfills emit methane and other gases, that contribute to climate change. Organic waste like chlorine (used to bleach paper and toilet paper) also cause problems, as does electronic waste that gives off hazardous gases and liquids that pollute water supplies. Car tyres are also a fire hazard. Yet most landfill waste is made up of unused fruits and vegetables, and disposable nappies.
One solution is to create waste-to-energy landfill that melts the waste into a gas that can replace coal or nuclear. Another idea is to compost fruits and vegetables to sell back at cheap prices to the public. Recycling is also good, but not the ideal for paper, as fibres eventually get too short and have to be pulped.
There are over 500 landfill sites in the UK, often just big holes in the ground that are filled with rubbish, then buried. Old waste (before health regulations) means often hazardous waste still lurks below us, and still release toxins (the same happens to bodies embalmed with formaldehyde that then leach chemicals out in the earth for decades to come – whereas freezing bodies preserves them just as well – it’s mostly just done for profit and tradition, and also puts embalmers at risk of cancer).
The entire global economy seems to be built on the model of digging things up from one hole in the ground on one side of the earth, transporting them around the world, using them for a few days, and sticking them in a hole in the ground, on the other side of the world. George Monbiot
Methane is far more dangerous and climate-negative than carbon dioxide. So some landfills use this gas to create electricity, to solve the energy crisis. And even though you have microplastic catch bags (used in washing machines to catch microfibers), if they end up at landfills and it rains, they get washed away anyway, down storm drains and into the sea. The answer is obviously to produce less waste.
Landfills obviously are also not very nice to live next to. Who wants to wake up to putrid smells and the loud clattering of lorries emptying glass bottles and rubbish into skips? If not cleared properly, there are also issues with rats and other creatures scavenging on heaps. Some say living near landfills leads to higher rates of diseases from asthma to cancer, due to the high amount of hydrogen sulphide released into the air. Living near landfills also causes the value of your property to decrease, as it’s more difficult to sell (even if you brew a pot of coffee before visitors arrive!)
So what are the alternatives? As mentioned above, the main one is simple living. But because governments and businesses are obsessed with economic growth to create a consumer culture, it is up to us to create an alternative culture, where happiness does not stem from ‘buying stuff to dispose of’. Landfills create almost-permanent hazards to beautiful areas and health (who wants to live next door to a used plastic sanitary pad that takes 800 years to break down?)
Compostable Food Waste Bags are made from waste food pulp in Europe from the timber industry and four trees are planted for every one harvested. These biodegradable bags are ideal in 25 bags with 10 litre volume.
