to reduce waste

1.How is the production of pollution and waste related to exponential growth of the world’s population and economies?Technological advances since the Industrial Revolution have paved the way for rapid economic growth. Unfortunately, that progress often comes at the expense of environmental quality. Most scientists agree, for example, that human industrial activity contributes to global warming. Economists, meanwhile, have studied the relationship between economic growth and environmental problems for years, and agree that pollution and other problems are a byproduct of societies growing in prosperity.2.List three things you would do to reduce the amount of pollution and waste that we produce.to reduce wasteReducing the amount of waste we produce is by far the most effective way to reduce the flow of garbage into landfill. To be really effective, we have to incorporate the 3Rs –Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle– into our daily routine. This means reducing and reusing materials and packaging wherever possible and participating in municipal 3Rs programs. Materials and packaging that cannot be reused should be recycled at home, work and school. Individual Canadians can help close the loop on recycling by purchasing recycled and recyclable products.Help to reduce pollution and waste by:1．Reusing things that are still good to use. Fix things or get things fixed. Learn how things are made to help you to do this. It's informative, interesting and it can be a lot of fun!2．Recycling everything that you can recycle! This may mean you have to spend an extra five minutes sorting out what is rubbish and what is recyclable. This may mean a different bag or box to put your recyclables in. This may even mean the occasional trip to a recycling bank. It may feel inconvenient but with routine it becomes second nature and it is an important part of reducing pollution.3．Recyle your unwanted phones and gadgets. There are websites that allow you to recycle your mobile phone and you can even receive money for doing so! Recycling saves natural resources, reduces land pollution and also air pollution as many products require more energy to produce them than to recycle them. This energy is often provided by carbon-emitting fossil fuels so by using less of those there is an indirect benefit in acting to prevent global warming.4．Most of us like computer games and own a computer console. We all like to upgrade sometimes too. If you have an old gaming console and games that you no longer use then why not see if you can recycle your gaming console and games for cash payments, and allow it to be reused and recyled. Receiving a fee or recycling seems a very good incentive to not throw away something valuable and still usable.5．You can recyle your used printer ink cartridges. An incredible number of used and unwanted ink cartridges are disposed of by households and business every day and these are unnecessary additions to landfill waste. They can also leak and cause serious environmental consequences through contamination of groundwater and the local environments. So do recycle them whenever and wherever you can. You can also help and buy recycled ink cartridges. These are recycled ink cartridges which have been remanufactured and filled with fresh ink. They are just as good for general use as brand new ink cartidges and are a lot cheaper to buy, therefore saving you money too. Using these will encourage other businesses to provide better recycling programmes and ensure less unnecessary waste.6．We can recycle almost everything these days: plastics, glass, aluminium, tin, other metals, clothes, newspapers, magazines, cardboard, even your organic peelings from your vegetables can go on a compost heap. Check out the Ecoants recycling guide for more information on what you can recycle and how exactly you can do it. It's actually very easy to recyce a lot of stuff these days and sometimes you can receive incentives to do so.7．Use online auction sites such as preloved (UK) and ebay to sell unwanted items, or you can donate useful items to charity shops and collections.8．Buy recycled products. Recycled paper, products that use recycled packaging and plastics. Recycled electrical goods, clothes from charity shops. All of these are just examples but if the demand for recycled products is there business will recycle more and unnecessary waste and pollution will be reduced.9．Sign up to a renewable energy supplier. Clean energy is the future, not just to stop pollution of our local and global environments, but also to help guarantee out future energy security and make the world a more sustainable place to live in. We recommend Good Energy in the UK and you can get a quote here. We like them because they source 100% of their energy from renewable resources.10．Use less harmful detergents in your home and at your place of work. For example the Ecover range of detergents are good quality cleaning products which are very sensitive to the environment. The more people that use these the more we can reduce pollution in our beautiful environments.11．Buy organic food. This can sometimes be slightly more expensive but it will reduce the amount of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, artifical fertilizers, hormones,antibiotics and who knows what else, being used in the agricultural industries. Thus helping to reduce pollution in our rivers and in ourselves.12．Buy organic cotton products, such as clothes, bags and shoes, produced in an eco friendly way (i.e. sustainably and without the use of pollutants - any ethical shop should be able to give you the information you require).13．Buy products with biodegradable packaging (or packaging that you will actively recycle). Look out for this in the shops where you buy from, it should be clearly labelled. If it is not available then write to your supermarket and ask them to start using it. In the meantime look out for products that use the minimum amount of packaging.14．Re-use your plastic shopping bags until you can use them no more...and then try and recyle them! Many supermarkets have introduced schemes where you can recyle your plastic carrier bags.15．Better still don't use plastic bags, buy a rucksack or other bag to use for your shopping.16．Use refills and products that allow refills. This will reduce packaging and waste.17．Use rechargeable batteries and electronic items. When you are recharging these items do not leave them on indefinitely overnight (especially relevant to mobile phones). Recharge them and then unplug them so as not to waste energy!18．Use public transport, walk or cycle...or car share. The less vehicles that are used the less pollution will be emitted. This means better health for us and our environment.19．Manage your bank, credit card and utility accounts online and use paperless banking. It's a lot easier and it saves paper which saves waste, natural resources and energy.3.List three changes in your lifestyle that would reduce the amount of pollution and wastes you produce.Let’s change the way we act! Waste reduction in different situationsAt workBoth in the office and at home, give priority to email communication, instead of fax or post. Only print out those pages you really need, and use the “recto-verso” option on your printer.Remember to give back empty cartridges to the supplier company to be refilled. As well as respecting the environment, this small-scale action generates activity and so helps to create new jobs.At the office, bring in your own mug for your tea ! That way you’ll save filling up the waste paper basket with plastic cups.Why not keep used office paper in a drawer so you can reuse it for drafts ?Choose your office supplies with care, giving priority to rechargeable or reusable stationery, recycled or recyclable materials and products that come with a European ecolabel !Think about buying coffee or tea in a large packet rather than in small packs; you’ll produce less waste and you’ll save money.Think about giving used electronic equipment to associations, who can give it a second life.During mealtimesChoose to cook with fresh foodstuffs; tha t way you’ll eat healthily and you’ll save a lot of packaging waste compared with an over-packaged ready meal.Remember to use up those products that have a short use-by date. Taking more care of perishable products, for example, putting products with a short use-by date at the front of the fridge or cupboard is a simple way for everyone to reduce their production of waste.Fill up a jug of tap water ! You’ll save the money you would have spent on buying a pack of bottled water and limit the amount of plastic wasted !When going on a picnic, bring along airtight containers for food, flasks and everyday hardware cutlery. That way there is less rubbish left over at the end of the picnic, which of course will be thrown in the nearest bin, or even better taken home for separating and disposal.ShoppingChoose products that come with eco-labelsEuropean or national eco-labels are official certifications that guarantee the quality of products as well as their reduced impact on the environment throughout their life cycle. Several hundred products (including school exercise books, bin bags, household products, coffee filters…) are available with eco-labels, so keep an eye out for them!Choose products with less packaging and avoid disposable, single-use products From the moment of purchase, you can often choose a product which will generate less waste. You will save raw materials and help to cut down on the pollution generated through the production process. You can also save money!Choose to buy products in bulkIt often works out less expensive, and helps to minimise packaging waste. Packaging represents 23% of the weight of our household waste, and a significant part of thevolume of your bin.Buy in quantities that are adapted to your needsBuying a quantity of food that is well adapted to your needs allows you to avoid producing waste but also to stop you from having to throw away products that you have paid for, making savingsOpt for reusable bags for your shoppingDisposable bags from shopping centres are used for an average of 20 minutes before being thrown away. Not only do they become waste very quickly, but if not disposed of carefully they can pollute the countryside and the sea. Plastic bags that end up in the sea can kill sea turtles, dolphins or sharks who confuse them with jellyfish and swallow them.Opt for eco-refillable productsEco-refills are often available for household products, cosmetics, as well as certain foodstuffs.Leisure timeSave batteries : at home, plug your small appliances into the mains or use rechargeable batteries… you’ll also save money.Try to avoid unnecessary purchasing of products, especially around festivities and holidays: work out which items you really need to avoid over-buying of food, decorations and giftsNext time you have a birthday present to buy, why not get a“dematerialised” gift, such as tickets for a show or concert in the area, or a subscription, a massage, cooking lessons… pleasure without waste!At schoolWhen it comes to buying new school materials, check the condition of stationery and materials that are left over from the previous year, to see if they can be reused. For those items that still need to be purchased, opt for materials that come with an eco-label, or those that seem durable and will withstand a few scrapes!Opt for rechargeable stationery that can be kept for a long time.At snack time, bring your food in a reusable hardware tub, and your drink in a flask.Help to cut down on paper waste by writing on both sides of the pageDIYWhy not rent or borrow the materials you need ?Call for a special collection for your dangerous waste.For any chemical waste from DIY jobs, such as household products, batteries, or strip lighting…etc. take them to the nearest civic amenity site or collectio n point. GardeningWhy not hire the gardening tools that you only need occasionally, or borrow them from a neighbour ?Think about buying a natural fertiliser that’s adapted to organic farming methods. Even better, start home composting and use the compost as fertiliser!At homeOpt for low-energy light bulbs. An energy-efficient light bulb uses 80% less electricity, and it lasts 6 to 8 times longer!Opt for durable products over disposable ones; they create a lot less waste! Some examples are cleaning cloths, razors, cups, refillable pens, rechargeable batteries…etc.Before throwing an object out, find out about reuse associations in your area which could give that object a new life!Choose to buy soap instead of shower gel. With less packaging, soap helps to cut down on waste !Fight against excess paper waste: put a “No Junk Mail” sticker on your letterbox.More than 30% of the weight of our bins is composed of biodegradable waste (kitchen waste, garden waste, ashes...etc.) Having a compost to put green waste into will mean you throw away less and gain an excellent source of nutrients for your flowers and vegetable garden.Reuse and repair as much as possible! 13 to 25kg of electric and electronic equipment such as fridges, telephones, computers etc. are thrown out per person per year, yet these products often contain harmful components such as lead or mercury, and the majority can be repaired or reused. Think about giving used appliances and unwanted furniture to associations that will take on the job of restoring them.Give your unwanted clothes a second life by giving them to charity collections or associations, or to friends and family members.Buy reusable diapers for your child. Until a child reaches the age of 3 years, the number of diapers he or she uses can vary from 5,000 to 6,000, that is to say approximately one ton of soiled diapers per child. You will save a significant amount of waste, and you’ll save money too.You want to get to the heart of the matter? Find out 12 good habits for reducing waste. You will also find out more ideas for activities to be implemented during the European Week for Waste Reduction on this website.。