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Recycling

Among other things, rubbish decomposing in landfill produces methane, a greenhouse gas more harmful than carbon dioxide. Recycling helps keep waste out of landfill, and also helps tackle climate change in another way because it takes less energy to recycle something than to make the same item from raw materials.

Ycan reduce waste going to landfill by about three-quarters just by composting, recycling and avoiding plastic bags and overpackaged items when shopping.  In fact take your shopping bag with you or use a cardboard box to bring your groceries home.  Supermarkets always have cardboard boxes in excess.

Another easy way to reduce waste is simply to buy fewer new things; making new products requires energy and natural resources.  Instead, make things last by buying second-hand from op shops and garage sales, borrowing from libraries, looking for building materials at salvage yards and so on.

All of these tips will also save you money, so it's a double-win proposition.

Facts

• Up to 40 per cent of household waste can be composted, including food scraps, garden cuttings, paper and card.
• Half of household waste by volume is packaging.  

Tips

• Compost food scraps to turn them into fertiliser for your garden instead of sending them to landfill.
• Visit www.recyclingnearyou.com.au - a great site that tells you how and where to recycle just about anything.
• Don't print anything from your computer unless it's really necessary.
• Buy second-hand whenever you can.
• Drink tap water - large amounts of energy goes into extracting or making, packaging and transporting bottled water and soft drinks.  Buy a reusable water bottle or flask, and get a home water filter if you're worried about water quality.