Waste Management

Question 1

On average, how much waste is produced by each household in the United Kingdom each year?

Answer 1

592kg.

Question 2

On average, how much waste does the United Kingdom produce each year as a whole?

Answer 2

330 million tonnes.

Question 3

What percentage of household waste can be turned into reusable goods and materials?

Answer 3

39% - the rest is liable to be incinerated or put in landfills.

Question 4

What is the issue with using landfills to dispose of waste?

Answer 4

The main issue is it is unsustainable; there is a limit on the amount of space which can be used to dump rubbish. All landfill sites have the potential to contaminate the soil and groundwater in surrounding areas.

Question 5

What is the issue with using incineration to dispose of waste?

Answer 5

The burning of waste materials can produce many harmful chemical by-products which can cause air pollution or health issues for animals/humans. Also, expensive, energy-intensive operations.

Question 6

What happens under a zero-waste policy?

Answer 6

Under this policy, waste disposal methods, such as incineration and landfills, should be employed as little as possible. Meanwhile, waste-prevention and recycling initiatives are to be of paramount importance. The Scottish Parliament support this view.

Question 7

An example of the zero-waste policy in practice.

Answer 7

The Clean Kilo - supermarket that implements zero-waste.