What we throw away
The Issue
Products and packaging require energy and raw materials to be made and therefore add to our carbon footprint
In Merton 20% of the waste we throw away is recycled leaving an enormous 80% which is buried in the ground at a landfill site.
The rubbish rots and makes methane (a green house gas which traps 21 times as much heat as CO2 ) and leachate, which can pollute our water courses.
The Solution
Recycle – Much of what we throw away can be recycled. Recycling packaging requires a lot less energy than making new packaging. For example, recycling a single aluminium can saves enough energy to power a television for three hours.
In Merton, paper is recycled by Aylesford Newsprint, glass is sent to The Midland Glass Processing Company where it is either made into new bottles or used as material to build roads.
Composting can reduce your household waste by up to a third.
Re-use - Buying clothing from a charity shop, or fixing your washing machine are common practices, but many more of the things we use could also be reused, and have their life extended instead of being thrown away. Giving a sofa a fresh lease of life by refurbishing it can be a good alternative to buying a brand new one.
Milk bottles are a familiar form of reuse. On average, a milk bottle is re-used 20 times.
Items such as PCs can be passed to a second user when they are replaced by the first user. Charities, schools and other groups can all benefit from donations of computers or low cost machines supplied by refurbishers. See the computers recycling sheet for further information
8 million nappies are thrown away in the UK each day creating a massive amount of waste. Try using real nappies which can be re-used and cost much less than buying disposables. There are a wide variety of cloth nappies available.
Reduce – We can reduce the amount of waste we produce by buying products with less packaging or recyclable packaging or by only buying the things we really need.
Buying products in bulk reduces packaging waste, especially if you bring your own reusable containers. It’s usually more economical too.
Unwanted, unread Direct Mail is a waste of resources and if you’re not interested in receiving it you can cancel it by using the mail preference service.
When you print, print double sided.
Use washable tissues rather than disposable ones.
Buy recycled products such as office paper, newspaper insulation, refuse sacks, watering cans and garden tools, to increase the market for recycled materials
What you can do
In your green box recycle Paper and Glass
In the purple box recycle plastic bottles, cans and tins, card, dyed paper, telephone directories and catalogues.
You can also recycle at neighbourhood recycling sites. To find out where these are, or to order recycling boxes call
020 8545 3472 or email environmental.development@merton.gov.uk
Cheap compost bins are available by calling 0845 077 0757 or at www.recyclenow.com/compost/ where you will also find lots of composting tips.
Give items you are throwing away a new home by using Freecycle. You can also use it to find items you want. You can join the group at: groups.yahoo.com/group/mertonfreecycle/
Search for charity shops in Merton at www.yell.com
If you are throwing away a fridge, cooker or washing machine, contact Croydon Arc on 020 8681 6721
www.arc-croydon.org.uk
Good quality Unwanted Furniture will be collected by The Vine project. Call them on 020 8685 6640 www.thevineproject.org
Get fresh milk delivered in environmentally friendly returnable glass milk bottles. Call Delivermilk on 01622 727940 www.delivermilk.co.uk
To find out about using real nappies, contact The Kingston and Merton Real Nappy Network on 07949 628148 kingstonmertonrnn@yahoo.co.uk
When shopping, take you own reusable ‘bag for life’
Cancel junk mail
www.mpsonline.org.uk
0845 703 4599
Buy recycled
www.recyclenow.com/shopping/index.html
