In message , Gary Davis
writes
On 11/11/04 12:20 PM, in article ,
"Janet Baraclough.." wrote:

The message
from Gary contains these words:

I would think in the UK it gets dumped in the ocean.

I have been wrong so many times that it does not hurt anymore. Would you
be kind enough to enlighten me by teaching me just what/how the UK disposes
of its garbage.

Overall the UK is pretty bad by European standards, but still does not
throw stuff gratuitously into the ocean any more. Part of the problem is
the lazy slob like behaviour of a proportion of the population fly
tipping etc.

I already know that there are many things that cannot be
recycled in a positive way.

Even some of the things that cannot be recycled in a positive way are
best off separated from the generic landfill waste for heavy metal
toxicity etc. The rest ends up as landfill and we are rapidly running
out of space!

Incinerators tend to suffer from nimby problems and some were badly run
leading to all sorts of fume problems around them.

My own local council in North Yorkshire collects general garbage and
compostable garbage on alternate weeks (not entirely popular). They also
collect waste paper periodically at the kerbside too (today in fact).

They provide recycling centres and facilitate collection points for
glass/plastic/tins/old clothes at most large supermarkets. The best
local one will accept as separate waste streams:

Acids/Chemicals/Drugs
Asbestos
Cardboard
Dead batteries
Garden Waste
Glass/Bottles
Paper
Sump oil
Tins
White Goods
Wood

I may have missed some categories. They don't accept plastic bottles,
although the skips at a DIY store 500m down the road from them do.

That is almost as good a recycling scheme as on the continent. But
Hambleton Council are a lot better than most. I expect there is
something about their recycling scheme and environmental policy on the
website:

http://www.hambleton.gov.uk

Regards,
--
Martin Brown