Associated Actions

Environment

In 2002-03, Australia generated approximately 32.4 million tonnes of solid waste, or about 1.7 tonnes per capita. Approximately 60% of this waste is buried in landfill. This represents a huge ongoing loss of invested energy, extracted resources and natural services that could otherwise be recycled back into other man-made products and materials.

Wellbeing

Recycling of toxic chemicals, radioactive materials and other non-biodegradable materials is the alternative to attempting to store them in landfill facilities. Inadequate disposal of these materials has allowed many man-made toxins to enter the oceans and contaminate seafood. Mercury turns into its organic form, methylmercury, and accumulates in the tissue of tuna, swordfish and shark (large, old fish at the top of the food chain). Chemicals such as DDT and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl), dioxin, toxaphene, and dieldrin can accumulate in fish (especially farm-fed fish) and are all suspected to cause cancer in humans.

Recycle Technical Waste

We have concentrated, extracted and combined raw natural elements into new and unique elements such as plastics, aluminium, mercury, acids, and so on. Recently we have realised that to use these resources efficiently and avoid them spoiling the environment we need to create closed loops that allow us to move these technical materials from one use to another in the same way nature cycles nutrients, water, or energy throughout its ecosystems. In this manner we need to see one person's technical "waste" as the feedstock for another's technical process and product.

Recycling plastics, paper, metal, and glass are all steps in this direction. The end point is that all man made products and materials are able to be recycled and reused.

How to do it now!

Purchase recycled products - To complete the recycling loop we need to purchase recycled products. (see "Purchase Recycled Goods" in 'Related Actions')

The following local council websites provide information on recycling options:

Recycle all that you can - Most councils (check with you local council for the exact products recycled) offer curbside recycle bins in which to place the following:

  • cardboard, milk and juice cartons
  • cardboard boxes, newspapers and magazines
  • glass bottles and jars
  • aluminum cans, foil trays and steel cans
  • plastic milk, juice, soft drink and detergent bottles
  • telephone books, work and school papers, letters, envelopes and advertising material

Use specialist recyclers of technical waste where available - Most states have directories of specialist recyclers that will take everything from your old paint and oil to your printer cartridges.

Recycle your e-waste (computers, printers, monitors etc...) - The proliferation of information technology has led to an increasing need to recycle used or obsolete computing equipment.

  • Recycling Near You (National) - Planet Ark list of recycling locations for e-waste
  • ewaste (National) - home or office pick up of your unwanted computers.
  • MRI (Aust) - home or office pick up of your unwanted computers.

Recycle your mobile phones - For every mobile phone in use, there are two more sitting unused in a draw somewhere! Mobile phones contain nickel, cobalt, cadmium, gold, silver and plastics which can be recycled and re-used. Most mobile phone retailers have recycling boxes. Alternatively, call Mobile Muster for a full list of drop-off locations or try the Mobile Phone Recycling website.

Why this action is important?

In order to reduce the strain our ongoing consumption is putting on the environment, we need to use less and use it many times (ideally, perpetually). Creating closed loops by recycling all that we can moves us in this direction.