Reduce, re-use and recycle

Landfill

Currently, most municipal waste is dumped in landfill sites. These are large pits which are lined with thick plastic to reduce contamination with local soil and water.

The materials and useful resources in the waste are lost.

Landfill sites are normally close to the area that has produced the waste. This minimizes transport costs and vehicle emissions. However, local residents may complain about unpleasant smells, the attraction of animal pests and also increased lorry traffic to the site.

Landfill with energy recovery

Currently, most municipal waste is deposited in landfill sites. The waste is basically dumped into large holes in the ground. They are lined with thick plastic to reduce contamination with local soil and water.

Methane gas is produced as the biodegradable materials in the landfill break down. This methane can be used as a fuel to generate electricity or provide heat for a local community.

This energy would otherwise be lost and it helps to reduce the amount of electricity generated by conventional oil, coal or gas-fueled power stations.

Local residents may complain about unpleasant smells, animal pests and increased lorry traffic to the site.

Incineration

Municipal wastes can be processed and burned in an incinerator.This reduces the need for it to be deposited in land fill sites.

Some incinerators do this without collecting the energy to generate useful heat or electricity.

The waste gases from incinerators are closely regulated and there are often objections from local residents against the building of an incinerator close to where they live.

Incineration with energy recovery

Municipal wastes can be processed into dried fuel pellets. These can be burned in incinerators in Combined Heat and Power stations (CHP).

The energy from the waste generates electricity and so reduces the need to burn oil, coal or gas in conventional power stations.

Hot water for household central heating can be supplied to local communities. However, to do this, the incinerators need to be situated close to the communities they serve.

Emissions from the incinerator are closely regulated but local residents often object to building an incinerator in their neighbourhood.

Recycle

Materials can be separated from wastes and recycled to supply raw materials for the manufacture of new items.

Recycling helps to preserve natural resources and reduces the amount of waste disposed in landfill or by incineration.

Food wastes can be used to produce compost for local residents or parks.

It can be costly to collect, sort, clean and transport recycled materials from municipal waste. Also, the quality of recycled materials may not be to the same standard as those made from fresh raw materials.

Re-use

Some manufacturers design products so that they can be returned and re-used.

For example, glass bottles can be cleaned and re-used. Containers can be refilled, carrier bags can be used many times and old clothes can be turned into cleaning rags.

Re-using helps to reduce the need to make new products and so preserve raw materials. It also reduces the amount of waste that needs to be disposed.

However, it can be quite expensive to re-use some products. Collection, sorting and washing glass bottles can have significant costs.

Reduce

Waste prevention reduces the amount of waste that needs to be disposed.

Products can be developed to last longer or be environmentally 'cleaner'.

Packaging can be designed so that there is no more than is necessary or so it is easily recycled. However, consumers must also be willing to accept changes to the ways that goods are packaged and handled.

It is best to reduce the amount of waste but some will always be made.