Waste Reduction Week this week

by Amy Judd | October 17, 2008 at 04:03 pm

740 views | 15 Recommendations | 18 comments

Waste Reduction Week runs from October 19 - 25 and is celebrated worldwide to educate and inform people about how necessary it is to not only reduce the amount of waste they produce but how to do that in an environmentally friendly manner.

Waste Reduction Week (WRW) is a series of events held every October to raise public awareness about how waste impacts on the environment, society and the economy.

There are many different events across Canada especially, such as the City of Thunder Bay working to promote waste reduction and alternatives to throwing waste in the dump.

Zero Waste Action Team members and partners are holding a Waste Reduction and Recycling Information Fair at Intercity Shopping Centre on Saturday, October 18 from 9:30 am until 6 pm in the Promotions Area. Participants include Confederation College’s Environmental Technician Students, EarthWise Thunder Bay, EcoSuperior, Pack Pros Plus, Recool and the ZWATeam.

Often people will throw too much away because they don't know what can and cannot be recycled, and even if they do, they are still not sure where to recycle them.

Recycling.co.uk has an alphabetical list of how to recycle everything from asbestos to the Yellow Pages.
Recycle Plus has a list of how to recycle and where to recycle.

To give you some idea what happens when you don't take waste reduction seriously:

It takes 20 years for a plastic bag to decompose and 250 years for a plastic cup to decompose.

And then 450 years for a plastic bottle to decompose in a landfill.

So why is it important to recycle?

Well, among other things, it reduces the demand on our natural resources, reserves landfill space and can create jobs and new industries.
Think about what will happen when we run out of space. What will we do then?
So next week is your opportunity to do something a bit different.

Oscar the Grouch has been chosen as the face of Waste Reduction Week.

More articles to follow.

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c0mput3r.g33k

at 19:49 on October 17th, 2008

Don't trash our planet!

XYZT

at 20:30 on October 17th, 2008

I hope we take a conscience the full picture. This is near to the end of process but not the end.

XYZT has contributed a photo to this story.

niggle

at 20:39 on October 17th, 2008

This photo was taken during a school trip to http://www.allbriteonline.com/ Albrite recycling in Lower Hutt, NZ. The trip aims to show children the huge volume of domestic waste and where it ends up.

niggle has contributed a photo to this story.

pippaslongstockings

at 21:30 on October 17th, 2008

I'm so pleased with this bag: it's really strong and a great size for shopping. I wish I had counted how many plastic shopping bags I had used to make it - I know it was more than 50, so that's 50 less plastic bags for the landfill. I had already started using reusable bags at the supermarket and I had got into the habit of always keeping a rolled up bag with me so that I didn't have to use a plastic bag, but I still had a massive stash of bags left over from when I wasn't so green. I hate throwing things away and I'm so glad that I found something useful to do with them. Hooray for recycling!

pippaslongstockings has contributed a photo to this story.

Rain Rabbit

at 23:42 on October 17th, 2008

This recycled tin skull is part of the current Frieze Art Exhibition in Regent's Park, London.

Rain Rabbit has contributed a photo to this story.

Shricthism

at 02:25 on October 18th, 2008

Testing the temperature of the windrow at Gowy landfill site in Cheshire.
This compost is made from the garden waste taken to a recycling centre by members of the public. It is shredded and then allowed to compost in these large windrows. Temperatures aften exceed 70C.
After only 6 weeks on site it is ready to use as a soil conditioner.

Shricthism has contributed a photo to this story.

samantha_josephine_photography

at 04:16 on October 18th, 2008

I couldn't believe the amount of waste in this work place! I looked at it and saw a great photographic opportunity. The colours were fantastic, although the waste itself wasn't. Great work to everyone who is recycling and making the world a better place

samantha_josephine_photography has contributed a photo to this story.

Joanne M (not verified)

at 08:20 on October 18th, 2008

Hi,

I first came across this event in this post on Waste Reduction Week In Canada. They have links to some of the products shown in the public service announcements as well.

mandymooo

at 10:55 on October 18th, 2008

I recycle, but I also like to reuse. I flatten San Pellegrino bottles so they can be used as serving plates. Guess what my friends are getting as holiday presents this year? :-)

mandymooo has contributed a photo to this story.

Jordan Yerman

at 11:27 on October 18th, 2008

The raccoons on my street are most certainly not amused.

Tricia Wilson

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:02 on October 18th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Roberto Alvarez-Galloso

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 13:13 on October 18th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff. Thanks for the information.

Amy Judd

at 17:55 on October 18th, 2008

Check out our Waste Reduction Week channel!

Eustaquio Santimano

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 23:49 on October 19th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

G-3

at 08:22 on October 20th, 2008

Recycling brings a smile to your soul.

G-3 has contributed a photo to this story.

campanaro

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:24 on October 20th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Thanks..For this
Peace,
campanaro

Ann Smarty

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:36 on October 20th, 2008

a great initiative!

fourbyfourblazer

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 19:11 on October 22nd, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff. Waste reduction starts with ourselves. What we buy, how much we buy of it and what we do with it. God tells us to be good stewards so it's a no brainer to not waste and try to recycle and reuse when able to do so.