Recession-hit UK Struggles to Manage its Recyclable Waste

In the time of recession we must try to use our resources efficiently, save as much as possible and reuse and recycle whatever we can. British households are trying to do exactly that, segregating wastes into as many as five different groups so as to help the city councils recycle the waste easily. Instead the councils are dumping anywhere between 10 to 30 percent of recyclable waste to landfills and incinerators. That’s wasting some very useful waste.

After inspiring and appealing to homeowners to do their bit for the environment by separating the waste generated at their homes, the city councils are struggling to recycle the wastes and selling them to the manufacturing and reprocessing sectors because of lower demand during this economic downturn. As a result, the recyclable waste is literally going waste as it is either dumped into the ground or burnt – adding to the rising carbon emissions instead of cutting them.

While claiming that they are trying to recycle as much waste as possible, various city councils in Britain are dumping or burning 10 percent or more of the recyclable wastes. The revelations have invited criticism from green groups and have also allowed the opposition parties to question Labor government’s green credentials.

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