These make quite alarming reading - if we want to have any kind of planet to pass on to our children and grandchildren, perhaps we need to be a little more aware of our actions. No one has to save the planet single-handedly but if we each took a few small steps, we can achieve great things together. " We get through nearly 3 billion disposable nappies each year in the UK alone and around 90% of these end up on landfill sites. Disposable nappies take 500 years to decompose. " The disposal of nappies costs Bristol City Council around 500,000 per year. " Over 20,000 tonnes of batteries are sent to landfill site in the UK each year. It takes 50 times more energy to make a battery than it gives during its life. " Each day, we produce enough rubbish to fill Trafalgar Square to the height of Nelson's Column. " Each year, one person gets through 90 drink cans, 70 food cans, 107 bottles and jars and 45kg of plastic. " 55 million 2-litre plastic bottles are thrown away in Bristol each year. " The UK uses about 12 billion cans each year - that's enough to stretch to the moon and back! " On average each person in England and Wales produces nearly 500kg of household waste a year. " In Bristol last year, 10 thousand tonnes of paper were collected and recycled. " 7 million trees are cut down every year just to make disposable nappies. " The average British family throws away 6 trees worth of paper in their household bin a year. " Every tonne of paper recycled saves 17 trees. " 25% of household waste is packaging and we throw 36 million worth of aluminium into landfill sites. " Last year in Bristol, nearly 4.5 thousand tonnes of glass bottles and jars were collected and recycled. " Five out of six glass bottles are thrown away. |