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Pollution

Zero Waste Week starts

by Dave Armstrong 04 Sep 2017
Zero Waste Week starts

You will have a landfill like this near your house if you live in many industrialised nations such as the UK. How many of us would prefer a recycling solution to waste?Landfill image; Credit: © Shutterstock

In the UK, the amount of waste produced is worrying many in the population. Admittedly, we might as well all start the Zero Waste Week that starts today, given the universal marine waste and the plastics also in the community worldwide. There are many Zero Waste Weeks around the world, as you can see in this site. With 7% of the UK saying they are not concerned, for reasons of their own, perhaps it is time that landfill and most other waste disposal mechanisms started to fall in popularity. The Maldives, for example are sinking under the weight of their own landfill (not forgetting sea-level rise), with one miserable island designated as the landfill scapegoat! Tourists will find that their island is more desirable than it would be, otherwise.

Back in Britain, Rachelle Strauss, the founder of Zero Waste Week 10 years ago, revealed the survey with, It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Great British Public is growing more and more concerned by the amount of waste that ends up in landfill or at the bottom of the ocean. This year millions of people around the world are coming together to reduce waste through reuse, recycling and repurposing material so that it can be used for as long as possible. It’s vital that businesses, Governments and citizens come together in a bid to call time on the ticking time-bomb that is household waste.

The greatest eco-warriors among the British public were shown to be 65 and over, with the north-east of England least concerned about waste.

In Europe, by comparison, Trip Advisor respondents claim the most eco-friendly hotel is in Switzerland, with waste heat recovery, green dry-cleaning and many items recycled to at least 90% levels. They don’t mention how much of Swiss waste ends up in landfill, but we guess all of these smaller countries are reaching the limit of their “disposable” area. The UK and Switzerland are similar in one way- they have sizeable populations in a relatively small amount of usable territory.

If we continue briefly with Europe, Helsinki and Luxembourg are 2 cities high on the Trip Advisor list. Hotel suppliers there have low-impact suppliers, sustainable sea-food (in Finland) and temperature sensors that adjust room temperature when not in use. When they avoid palm oil, as much as possible, however, the argument must be why can’t we all ban such non-sustainable produce entirely in countries.

Sadly for the UK waste problem, only 1 British city makes it into the top ten and it is not in the UK.! Dublin creeps in at number 10 because ladybirds are used to control pests--- personally, I find these novel American ladybirds don’t need any invitation to set up in the garden! The same Dublin hotel rewards guests who opt out of housekeeping, which is an excellent idea and maintains a not entirely carbon-free fireplace with sustainable turf. Well, at least it’s a start on that long road we follow on the way to reducing all kinds of waste ---.

Next, we ask President Trump what his plans are for Canadian waste shale and US landfills---!


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