Global Waste

Planet Plastic

Almost 10 billion tonnes of plastic have been created in less than a century. If the trend continues we will become a 'Planet Plastic'. Read a BBC article by Jonathan Amos to understand the enormity of the problem facing us today and to examine ways that the problem can be addressed.

Earth is becoming 'Planet Plastic'

Our Throwaway Culture

Our society is not a 'sharing' society. Would you share your car with a total stranger? Would you share your your gardening tools with other horticulture enthusiasts? Because we live in a 'throwaway culture', we tend to throw away household items such as televisions, computers or fridges when they get old or break down as the cost of a new machine is affordable and repair is too much of a bother. Besides, we are drawn to new shiny items like moths to light.

Attempts have been made to move away from a "take, make, use throw" economic model towards a "circular model", whereby re-using, repairing or sharing lead to a more limited use of raw resources as well as a more efficient method of waste management. An example of a community scheme designed to share expensive items is the Library of Things in London. There, people can borrow items such as projectors, musical instruments or DIY tools, much in the same way that in a traditional library they would borrow a book, read it and return it. Apart form its environmental impact, this idea also makes economic sense as there is no need to own an item that is rarely used, like an electric drill.