Waste!!!

The amount of waste we produce is increasing, despite expanding recycling collections. A typical Leicester household produces around one tonne of waste each year, but even this is dwarfed by the quantities of waste generated by business and industry, especially the construction and demolition sector.
Most of Leicester’s waste is disposed of to landfill sites (holes in the ground) around Leicestershire. Landfill sites are unsightly, generate lorry traffic and can cause pollution. Suitable sites in Leicestershire are also running out. Both landfill and incineration fail to recover the raw materials in the waste stream; recycling and composting – the conversion of waste back into raw materials – are therefore much better options.
Reusing waste items is even better than recycling, but the best waste ‘solution’ of all is to minimise or reduce the waste that is generated in the first place.

Leicester's vision:
Leicester will minimise waste production and seek to reuse or recycle all that does occur.

The Issue
The amount of waste we produce has been steadily growing over several decades, reflecting the trend towards more processing and packaging of consumer goods. A typical Leicester household will produce around one tonne of waste each year, but even this is dwarfed by the quantities of waste generated by business and commerce, industry and the construction and demolition sector especially.
In 2002-3, 86% of Leicester’s household and a large proportion of other waste generated in the city was disposed of to landfill sites around Leicestershire, ie. buried in holes in the ground. Landfill sites are unsightly, smelly and normally associated with a significant increase in lorry traffic delivering waste to the site. Furthermore they can pollute the area if leachate escapes into surrounding ground water. The waste in a landfill site decomposes slowly and anaerobically, producing methane – a potent ‘greenhouse’ gas contributing to global warming. Modern landfill sites, however, can collect much of this gas and utilise it as a fuel for energy generation.
Understandably, landfill sites are highly unpopular with residents living nearby and their lives and properties can be blighted for 20 years or more whilst the site is filled. In any case, suitable sites in Leicestershire are running out and an alternative disposal option is urgently needed.

Links: Waste in Leicester and......

Incineration , Composting, Minimisation, Reuse and Zero Waste