- Waste is the name given to anything we don’t want and throw away. It can also be known as – garbage, trash, litter, rubbish or refuse. After it is collected by a garbage disposal team, it is taken to a landfill site where it will be buried in a large hole or burnt.
As we are producing more and more waste, these landfill sites are getting full and new ones have to be found. We are running out of space for these sites, so need to start reducing the waste we produce. Also, the burning and burying of our waste releases some harmful chemicals into the air, which in time can be bad for our health and the environment.
Benefits Of Reducing Our Waste
- Helps to save our natural resources, energy, green space, minerals, petroleum and energy.
- By conserving our natural resources, this in turn saves money.
- It reduces the amount of pollution into our environment, therefore creating a healthier space for us and nature to live in.
- Helps to conserve animal’s natural habitats as fewer trees will be cut down.
- Reduces the risk of harm to animals, when rubbish overflows and could potentially be a hazard to wildlife.
How Much Waste Do We Produce?
- Australia is the second highest producer of waste per person in the world averaging 650 kilograms per person! Each person roughly throws away 330 kilograms of paper, 118 kilograms of plastic, 74 kilograms of metals, 414 kilograms of food, 552 aluminium cans and 206 glass bottles/jars.
- The average Australian family of four produces enough rubbish in a year to completely fill a three bedroom house from floor to ceiling!!
- Every year the whole of Australia produces 18 million tonnes of waste. That is the equivalent of three million Transpacific Cleanaway trucks full to the brim with rubbish!
What is waste ? How Can We Reduce Waste In our School?
Rubbish Taxi’s key tips for all schools
Schools generate waste in solid, liquid and gas forms. Every school could potentially reduce their waste significantly, by investigating the materials coming into the school, how they are used, and whether the materials are able to be recycled or reused.
Instead of letting all your school waste go to landfills, start creating ways to reduce your wastage now. Food scraps could be composted and used on gardens in the grounds of the school. Paper and plastics could be recycled and used for art projects or collected and taken to a recycling centre.
Old appliances or furniture could be fixed up and reused, or donated to community projects. The school as a whole could start a litter free lunch project, where no litter is brought at all. Food in a sealed container and liquids in a reusable drinks bottle is all you need!
By teaching kids at their school about caring for the environment through recycling, reusing and reducing, they can carry these practices on into their homes and communities, helping to create a healthier, cleaner environment in the future.
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