Why worry about waste?

In less than two hours the UK generates enough rubbish to fill the Royal Albert Hall. 

Epsom & Ewell alone produces almost 30,000 tonnes of household waste each year.  That's almost four times the weight of the Eiffel Tower.

Rubbish that we do not recycle is disposed of in landfill sites.  Rotting food and garden waste in landfill sites generate powerful greenhouse gases which contribute to climate change.  If we do not continue to recycle more the environment will suffer.

The government charges councils for each tonne of rubbish which is put into landfill.  This Landfill Tax is doubling over the course of three years.  In addition to Landfill Tax, councils face extra fines if they send too much food and garden waste to landfill.  If we do not continue to recycle more our residents will pay heavily through increased Council Tax.

How well are we doing with recycling?

Thanks to the efforts of our residents, recycling has risen significantly in Epsom & Ewell.  Before we launched kerbside recycling in 2003 almost 95% of waste went to landfill.  Now you recycle around 47% of your household waste.

Can I do more to help?

Careful attention to the three 'R's - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - can save energy and reduce harmful effects on the environment.

Reduce:  We only throw away what we buy in the first place.  Often it is just packaging we neither want nor need.  Careful consideration of the impact of the types of items we buy and the packaging they come in can help us reduce the potential for waste. Reuse:  Energy is used in the manufacture of a replacement item, even if it is recycled.  By finding another use for items we can postpone their replacement - perhaps indefinitely.  Sites such as Swap-it Surrey and Freecycle could make it easy for you to find another home for your unwanted items.  Recycle:  If you cannot reduce or reuse, recycling is much better than simply throwing something away - and is easy to do.  Explore ways of recycling in Epsom & Ewell.

Is it worth recycling?

The benefits of reducing landfill and methane emissions are clear.  But recycling can also have a significant impact on carbon emissions, even allowing for the fact that we must employ vehicles to collect the materials in the first place.  For example, it has been calculated that the energy saved by recycling cans, compared to manufacturing from raw materials, reduces their carbon footprint by nearly three quarters.  Recycling will also reduce our reliance on natural resources.

What about carrier bags and packaging?

Across the UK carrier bag use has been almost halved.  A re-usable shopping bag is by far the best option for the environment.

The amount of packaging which councils have to deal with is gradually reducing and manufacturers are working on new ways to reduce packaging, or make it recyclable or compostable.  The success of these strategies relies on consumer choices.  The key is to buy products with less, or recyclable, packaging whenever available.

How do we propose to manage waste in the future?

All councils in Surrey, including Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, have joined together to endorse the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Surrey.  This Strategy sets out our joint vision for managing Surrey's waste through to 2025.  It incorporates significant targets for waste minimisation and recycling, whilst recognising that reducing waste is even more important than recycling it.