The environmental crisis is a big problem, but it does not mean we are too small to do anything about. However big or small, we all have a role to play in protecting our environment.
London homes and businesses produce 7 million tonnes of waste per year
Environmental responsibility does not exist only on a global scale. It is a local question too. The damage to local environments can have an immediate impact. Polluting waste can contaminate water supplies, harm animals, ruin harvests, and be dangerous to adults and children in the area.
There are the aesthetic concerns too; often environmental damage is ugly. This is not trivial; it can negatively impact the value of your property. Any environmental neglect also requires fixing. This means your local authority will have to spend time and money on an easily avoidable problem, instead of somewhere else.
80% of Black Friday purchases end in landfill
But how do we come into play? You may have heard people talking about a ‘throwaway culture’, but it might be best to think of it as a waste culture. Buying unnecessarily and disposing recklessly creates waste that can ruin your local environment. This is why paying rogue traders instead of real professionals is so harmful. Legitimate waste removal companies will never fly tip, and they have connections with private recycling businesses. This means that, when you contact experienced waste management specialists, you are far less likely to harm the environment.
Thinking locally also helps globally. It might be hard to imagine, but rubbish we produce in our neighbourhood can pollute the world. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an island of litter floating between America and Japan. It is made up of plastic and waste from across the world, and is an important reminder to us all. Rogue traders that take your rubbish harm our environment. Let’s make sure that we do not help them do it.
Vote with your wallet
We are constantly bombarded with adverts trying to manipulate us into buying products we don’t need. These cheap goods break easily, and are usually manufactured halfway across the world. Not only does this mean we have to spend again, but material and fuel was wasted in getting the product to us. Recently, Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals have made this problem much larger. Not only is there more than meets the eye with these supposed ‘bargains’, the environmental cost has been massive.
Experts in white goods recycling have noticed this. Traditionally the yearly peak in fridge recycling is in the summer because of the warm weather. However, Black Friday impulse buying has created another artificial peak in November. Fridges are heavy and difficult to recycle, so many specialist plants are at capacity. Rogue traders take advantage of this, offering to remove your heavy fridge for a low price, only to fly tip it elsewhere. To avoid fines and legal headache, and to do your environmental duty you should make sure to use a trustworthy waste removal company.
