Recycling may be something of a buzzword nowadays, but the results of going green are showing much closer to home. About takes a look at why thinking before you throw can seriously change your life. Greening up your life; being environmentally friendly; repair, reuse, reduce and recycle – all phrases that slip by us each day as politicians, environmental campaigners and activists try and get us to think greener.
For years we've been told we're consuming the world's natural resources at a phenomenal rate and for years we've been warned that there are going to be consequences.
Globally, these consequences can seem rather big and outside our control, but by making little changes in the way we treat our rubbish means we can make a big impact, even in Hastings.
Don't take our word for it though. This is what the experts had to say:
Joy Blizzard, from the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee, said:
"Recycling isn't just something we need big businesses to look at, everyone needs to think about what they're throwing away. Making small changes can make a huge difference, even on a local level. Once you get into the habit of separating your rubbish it will become like second nature and you'll reduce the amount of rubbish going into landfill."
Chantal Lass, sustainability officer, from Hastings Borough Council:
"In the words of Mahatma Ghandi: "Be the change you want to see in the world."
"The small changes we make to the way we live our lives can make such a big impact on our surroundings. If we start with the simple, everyday actions it starts to add up to quite a lot."
"For instance start turning the tap off when you brush your teeth and you could be saving up to nine litres of water every minute. Quite a vast amount when you consider that more than a billion people don't even have access to clean water. It's our own homes that account for 25% of the UK's total carbon dioxide emissions so we need to start there. Switch to energy efficient lightbulbs, they last up to ten times longer and use a fraction of the energy of normal lightbulbs. Switch off the telly, DVD players, phone charges and so on at the plug to reduce emissions and save, on average, around £37 a year."
"There are lots more things we can do; recycle your old mobile phone, walk instead of drive, grow your own vegetables – it all helps."
Maresa Bossano, from the Hastings Environmental Network:
"Most of the rubbish we throw away could be reused or recycled but instead it's sent to landfill where it rots and generates methane contributing to climate change. Recycling waste uses fewer natural resources and saves energy. Even better is to avoid creating waste in the first place so try these tips to reduce waste:"
For more local environmental information visit www.hastingsenvironment.net
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This page last updated: 18/09/2007