Effective waste disposal in Perth is extremely important. As the global population grows, there is a greater emphasis on reducing waste and creating more sustainable ways of dealing with rubbish. This also has a positive impact on wildlife, as different animals can be injured or even killed by the rubbish that finds its way into the oceans or into forests.
Many people are unaware of what happens to their rubbish once they have thrown it away or sorted it to be recycled. This helpful guide will explain what happens to rubbish once it leaves the house, and how to get in the habit of responsible waste disposal.
Recycling Plant
More and more people are becoming aware of how important recycling is. Whilst you might think that plastic bottles and chipped glass cups need to be thrown away, they can be handled by specialists in waste disposal in Perth.
Separating plastic, glass and paper from other items is important. Make sure to keep a tally of the different items which are thrown away. Children can join in with the recycling effort if they are taught about which materials should go in the waste bin, and which materials should be kept for recycling.
Landfill
Most rubbish ends up in landfill sites, where the disposed material is buried under the ground. Given that Australia generates around 50 million tonnes of waste every year, this means that environmentalists are becoming increasingly concerned about the impact that the decomposing waste could have on climate change. Decomposing waste in landfill sites releases harmful gases such as carbon dioxide and methane which contribute to the ‘greenhouse effect’ and have been proven to contribute to rising global temperatures.
Landfill sites in Australia are subject to stringent checks to make sure that they comply with environmental standards, however, the rubbish in these sites poses a risk to animals which may have their habitat close to the landfill site. Some animals may ingest rubbish which causes them to become ill.
People can reduce the amount of rubbish that ends up in a landfill by purchasing food which doesn’t come in packaging. Loose fruit and vegetables are a good start. Jam jars can be reused and cereal boxes can be recycled one the packet has been finished.
The Ocean
Eight million tonnes of plastic are dumped into the ocean every year. In an effort to reduce this, many countries are introducing a ‘plastic bag tax’ which charges shoppers to buy fresh plastic bags. Instead of buying fresh plastic bags, why not just store bags at home and then re-use them when it is time to go to the supermarket?
Other Countries
Whilst a lot of the waste that is generated in Australia stays in the country, some rubbish is loaded onto boats and is taken to other countries where it is dumped. Countries such as Nigeria, the Philippines and China are just three of the countries where rubbish from other countries is sent to. Sometimes other countries will offer to take rubbish in return for payment.
Next time there is lots of rubbish piling up in the house, consider having it taken away by a waste disposal company.