Page content section :
Waste and recycling
Did
you Know?
There are only a few practical alternatives to landfill sites such as incineration.
So the only real option is to reduce the amount of our waste by recycling and composting more.
Something that would make an immediate impact is if all residents used the household blue box or wheelie bin recycling service, or the mini-recycling centres, as much as possible and only put materials in them that can be recycled.
This is how long it takes some of our waste to bio-degrade down in landfill sites :
- Plastic bags take up to 20 years to decompose
- Nappies take up to 50 years to decompose
- Tin cans take up to 50 years to decompose
- Plastic bottles do not biodegrade at all
A few other facts :
- Existing landfill sites in West Sussex will be full up within five years
- Recycling just one plastic bottle saves enough energy to run a 60 watt light bulb for six hours
- Fleeces and duvet fillings can be made from recycled plastic bottles
- 2% of crude oil produced is used to make plastic packaging
- Landfill gases consist of up to 65% methane and 35% carbon dioxide - both are known greenhouse gases
- There is evidence of composting in China and re-use of bronze scrap in Europe as early as 4,000 BC
8 of 23
