Zero Waste Week: How can you help the planet?
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How can you cut down on food waste?
Zero Waste Week is coming, but what is involved and what can you do?
The week, from 7- 11 September is dedicated to helping people understand the effects landfills have on the planet.
Did you know that in the UK the average person throws away up to 400kg of waste each year? That's almost the weight of a polar bear!
Here's some tips on how you can get involved and help make a difference.
What is 'Zero Waste Week?
Zero waste week is an annual campaign encouraging people to be less wasteful.
It was started in 2008 by Rachelle Strauss, and aims to raise awareness of how harmful landfills are for the planet.
Across the week, campaigners encourage people to, reuse, reduce and re-purpose.
Their own spin on the classic reduce, reuse and recycle!
How can being zero waste help the planet?
Do you recycle?
What does 'zero waste' mean?
Zero Waste is about using the right materials to make the things.
It also involves using less energy to ship those materials and then reusing or recycling them once their job is done.
So by becoming zero waste, or trying to be less wasteful you reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfills.
. Wales had the highest recycling rate in 2017 at 57.6%. It's the only UK country to exceed the EU's target to recycle at least 50% of waste from households by 2020
Landfills create gasses like carbon dioxide and methane that are harmful to the environment.
These gasses contribute to global warming and could be very harmful to the planet.
How can you help?
Charlotte Watkins and Ana- Maria Green from the 'Zero Waste Week' campaign have shared some top tips!
Have a look inside your bin before you put it out, see if anything can be reused.
What can you refuse? Say no to junk mail - reducing the amount of paper produced.
Switch to reusables - like rechargeable batteries or even face clothes instead of wipes.
Use refill services and schemes - lots of shops now have the option to refill a jar/container instead of using plastic packaging.
Swap don't shop!
Composting peelings and eggshells is a great switch from throwing them in the bin
Move your bin - this helps you think about what you might be wasting as you go to throw it out.
Fix things when they break.
Use up all the food in the fridge before buying new items.
Use others for inspiration.
Talk to your family about what you're doing.
Are you taking part in 'Zero Waste Week?' are you already reducing your waste? Let us know in the comments!
- Published4 March 2019
- Published27 August 2020
