There are many good reasons why we should reduce, reuse and recycle our household waste rather than throwing it out.

These can be simplified into two - environmental and financial - however the main reason is that it just makes good sense. Why bury something in the ground that can be reused and recycled into something useful?

Environmental reasons:

• Reduce the amount of rubbish buried in the ground - w hen buried in a landfill site, organic materials break down to release methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and a liquid (leachate) that is potentially hazardous.
• There are lots of environmental reasons as to why we should recycle, here are few:
  • PAPER - recycling one tonne of paper saves 30,000 litres of water and enough electricity for a three bedroom house for a year.
  • CARDBOARD - recycling one tonne of cardboard is the equivalent of 17 trees.
  • GLASS - recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to power a TV for one and half hours.
  • PLASTIC - recycling one tonne of plastic bottles saves enough energy to power a 60W light bulb for six hours.
  • CANS - recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours.

Financial reasons:

• For every tonne of waste landfilled, the County Council has to pay a landfill tax (this is in addition to the actual cost of landfill). At present this tax is £32 per tonne. The Government has stated that this will rise by £8 per tonne each year until it surpasses £48 per tonne – a significant increase in the cost of landfilling waste.
• The Government has also placed restrictions on the amount of biodegradable waste (any material which rots) that is sent to landfill after 2005. If we exceed the restriction we will be fined an estimated £150 per tonne. This is on top of the landfill tax, and the actual cost of landfill.

Pledge to recycle!
Join over 2,300 people in Somerset who have pledged to recycle