Waste generation in the UK can be categorized into several different types. Household waste is of primary concern in the present discussion, and statistical information regarding waste production and recycling behaviors are provided for the UK in comparison to other European countries. Suggestions are made as to how present recycling behaviors will influence waste generation and behaviors in the future.
Domestic Waste Production
The production and disposal of waste has a dramatic environmental impact. There are three main sectors of waste generation in the UK, including commercial and industrial, construction and demolition, and local authority collected or municipal waste (including household waste) (1). Household waste generation in the UK has decreased in recent years, while recycling behaviors have increased (1). Behaviors and drivers associated with waste generation among households are explored in the following discussion.
There are many sources from which waste can arise, including households, business, construction, agriculture, mining, and sewage (4). Strategies for dealing with these various types of waste can be conceptualized in a hierarchy that indicateds which methods of waste management should be considered given the environmental impact of each type of waste (4). This framework entails waste prevention through reducing use resources, then the reusing of products, and finally recycling of materials (4). This framework indicates that the smallest amount of waste possible should go to the landfill, and this waste should only be comprised of residual material (4). Research has indicated that the rate at which the UK consumes natural resources is unsustainable and has a detrimental effect on climate change (2).
Of primary interest in the present investigation is local authority waste, including household waste. Local authority waste is defined as household waste and business waste that is collected by the local authority, while household waste is defined as waste generated directly from households (1). Statistical information regarding houselhold waste is generally most comprehensive due to the fact that the government is generally responsible for managing this type of waste (3). Total household waste in England for 2009/2012 was 23,666 tonnes, of which 9,398 tonnes, or 39.7% was recycled (1). Household waste accounted for 89% of the total local authority collected waste in 2009/10 (1). Of the amount of household waste that was recycled, there was a significant increase in composting, or green recycling, from 1.6% in 1997/98, to 15.7% in 2009/10 (1). In regards to regional differences, the highest rate of recycling in England in 2009/10 was observed in the East of England at a rate of 46.1, while the lowest recycling rate was seen in London, at a rate of 31.8% (1).
In general, waste production within the UK has been on the decline steadily, reaching a total of 288.6mt in the year 2008 (1). The largest contributor to this waste production was the construction and demolition sector (1), In regards to local authority collected waste, 32.5 mt was collected in the UK in 2009, which was either landfilled (49%) or had value recovered (42%) (1). Of local authority collected waste in England, 23.7mt was accounted for by household waste, which was either recycled (39%) or landfilled (47%) (1). With the decline in waste generation, an increase in conscious household activities has increased, as 40% of household waste since 2003 has been recycled, composted, or reused in some way, and composting is now the largest component of household waste receycling (1). The UK ranked 12th among countries in the EU with regard to waste generation in kg per person in 2011, with Denmark, Cyprus, and Luxembourg comprising the top three countries (1). With regard to using recycling as waste management, the UK ranked 10th among EU countries (1). Germany ranked as the country utilizing the most recycling, while Bulgaria ranked last (1). Recycling rates in the UK were demonstrated as slightly less in comparison to the average of European countries (1).
Aims and objective
The amount and types of waste generated within a household are influenced by drivers and behaviors within the household. Attitudes and consciousness toward the environment and the impact our behaviors have on the world around us may be influential with regard to these factors affecting waste generation and recycling behaviors. The Waste Framework Directive established a specific target with regard to household waste, which aims at a 50% increase in recycling of household waste materials by the year 2020 (3).
The aim of the present study is to identify drivers or behaviors influencing recycling behavior within households, and projecting how these drivers will impact waste generation and recycling in the year 2050. DEFRA has identified 4 main recycling behaviors practiced within households including recycling rather than throwing away items, using one's own, recyclable shopping bags, reusing bottles, jars, envelopes, etc. rather than throwing them away, and composting food and garden waste rather than throwing it out (1). It may be hypothesized that these behaviors will result in changes in attitudes and perspectives that will further promote these recycling behaviors.
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