Christmas Wish: To Reduce My Waste!

15 December 2004

With many of us thinking of how much our waist will increase over the festive season, SEPA are offering a course which will help us reduce another kind of waste! They have developed an on-line self-study course, along with the Open University, which aims to equip people with the knowledge to reduce their own waste.

Waste has a major ecological impact in Scotland. Recent research has shown that we would need two more planets if everyone on Earth were to live like the Scots. 'Scotland's Footprint' looks at the consumption patterns of Scotland's residents and assesses the ecological impact of Scottish lifestyles in 2001. The factors that accounted for over two thirds of this ecological impact were materials, waste and food consumption. To reduce this footprint, each individual can do their bit. This message is especially important at this time of year. Some 'rubbish' facts:

It is estimated that over Christmas as much as 83 square km of wrapping paper will end up in rubbish bins across the UK, enough to cover an area larger than Guernsey
It is estimated that up to 1 billion Christmas cards (17 for every man, woman and child) could end up in bins across the UK
On average, each person in the UK, throws away seven times their body weight (about 500kg) in rubbish every year (Figures from Waste Watch, source WWF.org.uk).

One of the key challenges now for agencies like SEPA is to encourage the public to really think about the rubbish they throw away.

Could you buy goods with less packaging?
Are you throwing away things that could be easily composted?
Why is recycling important?
How can you prevent much of the waste you produce?

While recycling is important and will help Scotland meet the statutory European targets for cutting back the amount sent to landfill, waste reduction is even more crucial. To help this, SEPA has launched this course, which aims to help us reduce our waste. Public participation is essential if we are to manage our waste in a more sustainable way. By completing this course you will be equipped with a sound understanding of waste management in Scotland; the challenges we face; and what you can do to make a difference.

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