Hi everyone,

I am currently in my final year of a design degree and I am interested in a career of waste reduction and building a more sustainable future.

My question is, are we really doing anything we can to solve this issue or are we just ignoring the problem?

I have lived in Germany during my internship and I was staggered by the system they have in place for dealing with waste compared to the UK

I am currently writing my dissertation about the subject and if anyone could spare 5 minutes to fill out this survey, you would be doing me the biggest favor

Please me honest


https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Recycle4

No. And may waste far more than the obvious excess packaging, use of free bags, etc. So many leave e.g. outside lights on all day (and all night). Even though it is costing them money, it just does not occur to them the damage they are doing to the world through needless carelessness (and waste of their own money).

Ian

I couldnt agree more, I think Britain really needs to do something about the unnecessary packaging waste we create. There is so much potential for improvement but so much resistance to change.

Thanks,
Joe

Done it.

Chris

Done it.

Regards, Audrey.

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My German wife says that in Hamburg, where there are many of blocks of flats, there are no segregated waste bins at the flats for recycling. Consequently the residents need to travel to a waste recycling centre. In practice many residents don’t bother, especially the elderly and less able. She’s surprised at your statement above and has commented in the past that she considered the recycling of household waste in the U.K. to be better than in Germany – at least at the individual resident level.

Hamburg may be a special case as there is a very high density of utilitarian flats, built after the wartime major destruction of the city. At the time the flats were built, there was no regard for the provision for recycling of household waste.

Jim

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I’m not anti-cat, I’m anti irresponsible and hypocritical cat owners! Is that clear enough?

We’ve had an excellent waste collection system running in this part of Cumbria for some years thanks to both City and County councils. Glass, paper, cardboard, plastics, cans, household and garden waste are all collected separately every 2 weeks (unless you’re my next door neighbours who have steadfastly refused to put out any recycling since they moved in!). So I was concerned to see in the local rag today that, as part of the latest round of cost cutting, there will be a "reshaping" of waste services – heaven knows what that means but it’s probably not good!

Alf

Here in West Yorkshire, Kirklees MC stopped a separate glass collection quite a while ago to save money. But it has to be said the amount of money councils are having to save is quite staggering:
Kirklees Council agrees Council Tax rise … and huge budget cuts leading to 1,000 job losses – Huddersfield Examiner
Chris

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@Jim

That’s really interesting to hear. I assumed the infrastructure across Germany was similar to that of Dresden where I was living. Dresden has put in place a Pay as you throw system that charges you based upon how much you throw away. On the low wage that I was on, I naturally did everything I could to save money and became really engaged with the process.
I think one of the biggest problems we face is implementing an effective recycling system in built up areas. My research so far suggests its a real problem to recycle in urban environments simply because people dont have the space for all these different bins etc.

@Alf

We have a similar system in Loughborough where I am studying and it suits me perfectly. Like your neighbors, I witness a lot of people that dont recycle or dont understand what can and cant be recycled. I really dont see what the fuss is about, it seem simple enough to me.
I hope all goes well with the ‘reshaping’ of the service and they somehow encourage more people to recycle.


Thank you to everyone who has filled out my survey

Survey completed 🙂