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Waste management, a simple way to save the Earth
At Become Carbon Negative we have previously written about how recycling one way to minimise the destruction we are causing to the environment. In this article we will discuss how businesses are adopting tactics for waste management in order to minimise pollution and how this methodology can be used in the home as well.
On average the world sends over 2.01 billion tons of Municipal Solid Waste to landfill every year. According to the World Bank’s article “What a waste 2.0”, this level is expected to increase to 3.4 billion tons by 2050.
The issue posed by the emissions from a landfill is not exclusively CO2 but carbon dioxide and methane, according to the Landfill Methane Outreach Program. Methane is a potent and damaging gas not only to the environment and atmosphere but also to human health. Methane emissions from landfill is caused by the decomposition of the food that is sent to landfill every year, if you refer to the article from the World Bank you will see that 44% of the produce sent to landfill is food stuffs.
There are however ways for avoiding sending products to landfill, and recycling is not necessarily the first course of action you should take. There is a methodology used by businesses to minimise their polluting waste and this methodology is commonly known as the 5 Rs. This methodology consists of refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle:
On average the world sends over 2.01 billion tons of Municipal Solid Waste to landfill every year. According to the World Bank’s article “What a waste 2.0”, this level is expected to increase to 3.4 billion tons by 2050.
The issue posed by the emissions from a landfill is not exclusively CO2 but carbon dioxide and methane, according to the Landfill Methane Outreach Program. Methane is a potent and damaging gas not only to the environment and atmosphere but also to human health. Methane emissions from landfill is caused by the decomposition of the food that is sent to landfill every year, if you refer to the article from the World Bank you will see that 44% of the produce sent to landfill is food stuffs.
There are however ways for avoiding sending products to landfill, and recycling is not necessarily the first course of action you should take. There is a methodology used by businesses to minimise their polluting waste and this methodology is commonly known as the 5 Rs. This methodology consists of refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle:
- Refuse: firstly, refuse to buy single use plastics and wasteful non-recyclable products. By doing so you will reduce the amount of waste you produce every day. Try to avoid products with unnecessary packaging or try products with reusable or returnable packaging.
- Reduce: the reduction part of the acronym is about reducing your use of harmful, wasteful and non-recyclable materials. Using the minimal amount required will avoid excess waste, this will save you money as well as benefit the environment.
- Reuse: the third step combines with step 4, once you have managed to prevent yourself or the company using single use plastics etc. you should try to reuse the product you would have thrown away for something it can be equally useful for.
- Repurpose: instead of discarding a single use plastic cup it can be used as a pen or pencil holder for example.
- Recycle: only once you have worked your way through the first four steps you them be in a position to recycle your item(s)
The 5 R's methodology will certainly help you improve how you can best deal with your waste production.
By combining the 5 R methodology with the Become Carbon Negative drive to advocate the planting of more trees we can all help to minimise the damage we are doing to the Earth.
By combining the 5 R methodology with the Become Carbon Negative drive to advocate the planting of more trees we can all help to minimise the damage we are doing to the Earth.
