[Rydym yn disgwyl cyfieithiad Cymraeg ar hyn o bryd.]
That's the message! We all need to consider more carefully how much we consume and how then how much we throw away. 20% of the world's population consumes 80% of the world's resources.
Whilst household waste is only a small proportion of the total waste arising, much of the other waste is produced as a result of manufacturing processes for consumer products. For every tonne of product made, ten tonnes of materials have been used to manufacture them.
- Each of our households produces approximately one tonne of rubbish every year and it's growing.
- Over 90% of Monmouthshire's rubbish goes straight to landfill this costs the Council millions of pounds.
- Raising awareness and sharing information on waste reduction initiatives is the first step to tackling the problem, which we all create.
Residents of Monmouthshire currently recycle around 15% of household waste and Monmouthshire County Council is committed to improving this by increasing and improving recycling facilities in the County.
In recent years, the sharp fall in the value of materials being collected for recycling has hampered local and national collection schemes. Monmouthshire County Council now financially assists the collection of newspapers, glass and plastic.
- Around 4000 priced compost bins have been distributed to residents across the County so far and most primary schools have embarked on composting projects. Further schemes are planned. Contact the Recycling Officer for further details.
- Llanvihangel Crucorney Junior School has worked on a mosaic made from recycled tiles. Local businesses helped with the project, which is now on display in the grounds of Pandy Village Hall.
- In 1998 the nationally acclaimed Bottle Busters glass recycling play was performed at ten schools in Monmouthshire. Cycler the rapping Robot visited a further ten junior schools in the County to promote the Reduce Re-Use Recycle message.
- A new plastic recycling scheme was launched in Monmouthshire. Schools are invited to collect multi-pack plastic ring carriers and educational packs are available for teachers and pupils.
- Phonebooks & Yellow Pages can now be recycled at all of the Civic Amenity Sites.
Reduce
All manufacturing processes consume energy and produce pollution, even when recycled materials are used. So reducing waste in the first place is even better than recycling.
* Take your own bag when you go shopping and refuse any bags that you don't need.
* Buy loose food where possible and avoid over-packaged products.
* Avoid disposable items such as paper cups etc.
* Buy rechargeable batteries and long lasting low-energy light bulbs.
* Cancel delivery of unwanted 'free' newspapers.
* Reduce junk mail by contacting the Mailing Preference Service, Freepost 22, London W1E 7EZ.
* For babies, consider using real nappies instead of disposables, contact the Recycling Officer for more details.
Re-use
Try not to throw anything away that could be re-used by someone else. Your local playgroup, school or charity shop may be grateful for your donation. Fetes and jumble sales are also good places to take your unwanted items.
* Try to use returnable milk bottles.
* Give magazines a second life by donating them to your doctors or dentists surgery.
* Re-use paper as scrap and buy envelope 're-use' labels.
* Home brewers and jam makers all need glass jars and bottles.
* Choose re-useable containers whenever possible.
* Repair rather than replace household goods.
Recycle
Recycling makes sense.
With a little thought and effort each of us can reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill. Contact your Recycling Officer for a free copy of our colourful Recycling A - Z booklet.
* Make full use of your paper kerbside collection scheme.
But remember...
* Consider your neighbours, use the recycling banks during daylight hours only.
* Do not make a special journey by car to the recycling centre.
* Help keep the site tidy, take boxes and bags home.
* If the banks are full, please contact us.
Why Recycle?
* Recycling helps to save the earth's resources. Every tonne of used bottles and jars saves 1.2 tonnes of virgin raw materials such as lime and Sand stone.
* Recycling can save energy. Producing an aluminium can from recycled material saves up to 95% of the energy needed to produce a can from raw materials.
* Recycling reduces refuse collection and disposal costs.
* Recycling protects wildlife habitats from mining and forestry plantations.
* Recycling reduces pollution from disposal by landfill or incineration.
Home Composting
Why Compost?
Composting at home is probably the most effective thing we can do to help the environment.
* Kitchen scraps and garden waste make up around 25% of the contents of an average dustbin. Most of this organic material is compostable.
* Composting diverts organic waste from landfill and helps to reduce the build up of green house gasses such as methane.
* Compost is rich in nutrients and can provide an excellent soil conditioner for your garden. It's also free!
* Compost can replace environmentally harmful fertilizers and peat.
* Composting reduces the need for smoky bonfires, which pollute the atmosphere and create a nuisance.
How to Compost:
Anyone with a garden can compost, you don't really need a compost bin, a simple heap will do. You don't have to be an experienced gardener to have a go, just remember these simple rules:
* Add a mixture of greens e.g. grass cuttings and kitchen waste with browns such as straw and scrunched up cardboard.
* If your compost becomes slimy or smelly, simply add more brown fibrous material, this will add structure and allow air to circulate through your heap. Turning regularly or poking holes in the mixture will also help the process.
* Moisture is essential. Add small amounts of water but don't over do it. Your compost should be about as wet as a "well wrung sponge".
All of these things can go in your bin: fruit scraps, vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, most weeds, small garden prunings, leaves, dead flowers, grass cuttings, scrunched up cardboard, tea bags, vegetarian pet droppings.
Leafmould. Autumn leaves are best placed separately, in an open topped wire cage and left for 1 to 2 years. Worms will convert them into leafmould, which can be a base for potting compost.
A composting guide for beginners is available from Monmouthshire County Council and reduced priced compost bins are available to residents in the County.
Municipal Composting
You may take your own garden waste to special containers at:
Troy, Llanfoist, and Caerwent Civic Amenity Sites.
If you are visiting the site in a commercial vehicle i.e. a van, Land Rover, pick up truck or trailer over 6ft, four days notice is normally required. Please call us to arrange access.
The garden waste is used by local farmers to make high quality soil conditioner.
To ensure the continued success of this scheme, please place only garden waste in the containers provided.
Community Composting
Community composting is where people come together to make use of valuable resources that are often regarded as garden waste or rubbish. A community composting scheme can provide a local solution to a global problem.
Monmouthshire County Council would like to hear from community groups who are interested in setting up their own composting project.
Buy Recycled
- What is a Recycled Product?
* A recycled product is made in whole or part from recycled waste. Recycled content can vary from a small percentage of pre consumer industrial waste such as mill off cuts to 100% post consumer material from the household waste stream.
- The higher the post consumer content, the more desirable the product is. 100% recycled is best!
- With paper products, look out for the 'NAPM Approved' mark and the German 'Blue Angel' symbol, this is a guarantee that the product is made from post consumer waste.
- Separating recyclable materials from your waste is the first step. Complete the recycling cycle by choosing to buy recycled products, this is known as 'Closing the Loop'.
Complete the Cycle Buy Recycled
- Buying recycled products will help stimulate markets for materials collected from your local recycling schemes.
- Expressing a preference for recycled goods will encourage stores to offer a wide choice of products.
- Choosing to buy recycled will mean less waste goes to landfill.
- Buying recycled products demonstrates a firm commitment to the environment.
Closing the Loop
There are many products with recycled content in everyday use. Look out for new products and encourage others to buy recycled. Here is a sample of products containing recycled materials :
- The home:- Furniture from recycled wood, toilet roll and tissues, egg cartons, bin liners, recycled glass tableware, carpets, compost bins, duvets with recycled fibre fill.
- The office :- Toner cartridges, office furniture, photo copier paper, pens and pencils, storage boxes and mailing tubes, padded mail bags.
- Everywhere :- Soil improvers and mulches, playground surfaces, road cones. 25% of all steel cans are made from recycled steel.