DME - Waste in the UK 2022

Which sector produces the most waste?

• Households

• Commercial

• Other

• Construction and demolition

What is the percentage of waste from households?

• 62%

• 15%

• 12%

• 20%

On average UK families throw away between 15-20% of the food they buy. How much will this waste roughly add up to over the year?

• £250

• £800

• £1500

• £50

How is food waste changing in the UK?

• Declining

• stating the same

• fluctuating - goes up and down

• Increasing

What are the different waste management techniques used in the UK?

• Landfilling

• Incineration

• recycling

• anaerobic digestiom

• composting

What are the issues linked to landfilling?

• Landfill sites in the UK are at capacity - they are almost full.

• Landfilling waste discourages recycling.

• Landfills can be re-lanscaped once full. Reducing their environmental impacts.

• A toxic chemical soup known as leachate is created within landfills that can pollute water sources.

• Landfills produce methane - a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

Why is landfilling good?

• Cheap and easy way to deal with waste.

• Manages waste that cannot be recycled.

• Reduces the need to export waste to other countries.

• Impacts the local environment and biodiversity.

Why are we not recycling more in the UK?

• Each council has different rules on what can and cannot be recycled.

• Labels on packaging can be difficult to understand.

• People are well educated on what can and cannot be recycled.

• Recycling requires effort to sort and seperate waste.

• We do not have enough recycling companies to deal with the amount of recycling we create.

Which of the following statements best describes how recycling rates have changed since 2011?

• Continuing to increase rapidly.

• Beginning to decline.

• Stagnating

• Fluctuating dramatically.

What are the issues linked to exporting waste?

• Exporting waste to other countries creates income and jobs.

• Waste is not always managed correctly and can lead to local issues.

• Sometimes exported plastics are burnt illegally.

• Fumes from burning plastics can harm the health of local people.

• Microplastics can contaminate local ecosystems and water.