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) Every year the UK produces 27 million tonnes of household rubbish. ) For every tonne produced, it is estimated that 5 tonnes of rubbish has been generated at the point of product manufacture and 20 tonnes at the point of raw material extraction an impact far beyond that of our own immediate doorstep. ) The environmental impacts of rubbish are not just related to their disposal. The processing, manufacture and transport of materials before they end up as rubbish uses energy and resources and creates pollution.

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For example, the making of aluminium cans: Aluminium is produced from bauxite which is mined in countries such as Australia, Jamaica, Russia, Kazakhstan, Surinam and Brazil. Removing the aluminium from the bauxite requires a chemical process which produces a large amount of residual rubbish that has to be disposed of. To produce one tonne of aluminium, four tonnes of bauxite must be extracted. The extraction of bauxite has visual impacts on the landscape and disrupts habitats. The refining and smelting process uses huge amounts of energy. The aluminium must then be transported to the country where it is required for manufacturing into aluminium cans.

What is the situation in West Sussex?

) Within West Sussex there is an ever increasing amount of rubbish being produced and an ever decreasing amount of space in which to put it. ) About 433,000 tonnes of household rubbish was produced in West Sussex in 2001.This is enough to fill The Royal Albert Hall approximately six times. ) About 82% of the rubbish produced in West Sussex goes to landfill.We have less than 10 years before we run out of landfill space in the county if we continue piling rubbish into landfill sites at the present rate. ) Finding more and bigger sites is not the answer.There are also very few places where new landfill sites for household rubbish would be environmentally acceptable in West Sussex.

Are people aware of the problem?

) People generally are not sufficiently aware of the problem of rubbish and it is hard to change our habits to help towards a solution. ) We need to make sure that everyone knows the facts of the situation and understands what they can do to help us fight the rising tide of rubbish.

THE SOLUTION - THE 3Rs Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

) The waste hierarchy ranks the different ways of dealing with rubbish into order according to their sustainability. ) The three Rs are at the top of the hierarchy and are the most sustainable ways of dealing with the problem of rubbish.

Reduction/Minimisation
) Reduction is the perfect way of dealing with the problem of rubbish by not producing it in the first place.

What can we do to reduce our rubbish?

) We can all do our bit to help reduce rubbish by thinking about the choices we make as consumers. A few ideas for reducing rubbish: Take your own reusable bags when you go shopping Purchase unpackaged goods loose fruit and vegetables If possible buy non-perishable goods in bulk Choose quality products that will last longer (its often cheaper in the long run a good example is low energy light bulbs) Purchase concentrated products or refills Avoid buying disposable products such as nappies (see nappies sheet), single use cameras, paper handkerchiefs and serviettes, razors, paper and plastic cups, etc. Cut down on advertising and unwanted mail by contacting the Mailing Preference Service (MPS), Freepost 22, London W1E 7EZ Telephone 0845 7034599 www.mpsonline.org.uk

How can we re-use our rubbish?

) Re-using a product prolongs its life. At the very least this delays it entering your dustbin.

A few ideas for re-using your rubbish: Electrical goods can be repaired or serviced rather than replaced if it is economical to do so. Some electrical goods, if uneconomical to repair, can be recycled at Civic Amenity Sites Use rechargeable batteries Give away unwanted items find out about your local charities and what they accept Get your milk from your local milkman and give back the empty bottles Use reusable plastic food storage containers instead of aluminium foil or film

) Modern packaging tends to be recyclable, where facilities are available, but returnable packaging is unpopular with retailers because of the cost of organising a collection for empties. ) Deposit-paid returnable packaging is often more environmentally sound than disposable packaging because: it usually takes less energy to refill than to remake a container, less raw material is used, the pollution associated with extraction, refining and manufacturing is avoided.