Want not waste not

There are serious problems with WA's waste management performance. In the last four years, waste recycling has fallen by 20 percent.

Are you surprised?

The ABC has a whole series which shows how little is recycled. Worse, the series highlights that what householders send for recycling is often simply stockpiled. No matter how much waste we send for recycling -- no-one wants it.

There are mountains of broken glass. It's still cheaper to manufacture glass containers from raw -- non-recycled -- materials.

There are mountains of waste paper. By the time the glossy is separated from the matte -- and all the other necessary processing has been done -- it's cheaper to buy fresh woodpulp and make new paper.

Some people don't care. They are the people who don't care to recycle. They care even less that recycling efforts are wasted.

People who care -- and who see that their efforts are largely a waste of effort -- are discouraged. What is the point of sending waste for recycling when it will not actually be recycled?

The real problem is not recycling. The real problem is the original creation of all that waste material.

Buy a half kilo of mince. The mince comes on a plastic tray. The mince and its tray are wrapped in clingfilm. The meat and the tray and the clingfilm are placed in a plastic bag. The meat and the tray and the clingfilm and the plastic bag are carried home in a reuseable shopping bag.

One purchased item. Three items of waste material.

What a waste.

Buy a few AA batteries. The batteries come in a sealed container made of plastic and cardboard. The plastic may or may not be recyclable. The cardboard is covered with glossy advertising; it is unlikely to be recyclable. The batteries themselves are sort-of recyclable. You take the lot home in a plastic bag in a shopping bag.

Two batteries, lots of non-recyclable waste. What a waste.

We need to start at source. We need to look at the waste which is packaged with what we buy. We need to reduce the waste which comes with whatever we buy.

We need to reduce the waste that we create.

This will reduce the waste which needs to be recycled.

Reduce the need to recycle. By reducing the waste which needs to be recycled.

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
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Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming 'WOO HOO what a ride!'