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Why can waste create problems?

If waste can't be recycled, then it must be composted or buried in a landfill. And toxic or hazardous waste must be managed separately to avoid contaminating the trash and making it unsafe for recycling, composting or land fills.

All of these methods are expensive to build and operate, and many people have concerns about odour, noise, traffic, air and water pollution and threats to public health from their operation. On a small island like Malta where land is limited, the problem becomes more pronounced. It makes sense, then, to minimize the amount of solid waste that needs to be managed.

The good news is that we can all do something about this.

The fact is that packaging amounts to about half of the garbage that households discard every year. The things we buy and throw out – both packaging and products that we don't or can't continue to use – have a significant impact on the environment. By making our purchasing decisions with an awareness of this impact, we can help to alleviate our solid waste problem, reduce litter, slow the depletion of our natural resources and avoid the cost and environmental concerns of building more facilities to manage the garbage.

Is there a solution?

The easiest, most direct way for you to make a difference is to watch what you buy and throw away. These are the main steps to follow:

• Reduce the amount waste you generate.
• Reuse containers and products; repair what is broken or give it to someone who can repair it.
• Recycle as much as possible and buy products with recycled content.

These are the 3Rs of waste. A fourth R could be added:

• Respond to the waste management challenge by becoming aware of how you produce waste and choosing less wasteful alternatives.

What does reduce mean?

Reduction prevents waste from being created in the first place. It reduces the amount or toxicity of waste at the source. Because source reduction actually prevents the generation of waste in the first place, it is the most preferable method of waste management.

We can reduce waste by purchasing durable, long-lasting goods and making them last longer by repairing them when necessary. Reusing products and packaging, and reducing the amount of packaging that is discarded. It is also about looking for and asking for products and packaging that are as free of toxics as possible.

Reducing waste can be as simple as reaching for a cloth napkin instead of a paper one. It can be as complex as redesigning a product to use fewer raw materials in production, have a longer life or be used again after its original use is completed.

There are many ways to avoid single-use products and to reduce waste generated at home, school and work.

Reduce at Work

• Examine your production and procedures to see where waste can be reduced. Significant savings in supplies and disposal costs can result.
• Establish and support a collection program for recyclables.
• Encourage employees to bring their own washable mugs to work or consider providing mugs as a gift.
• Next time your company buys a photocopier, get one that makes two-sided copies.
  
• Use electronic mail to send memos, or route memos to staff members rather than making a paper copy for each person. You can even add a message to your emails asking your contacts to consider the environmental responsibility before printing an email.
• Use re-used envelopes for internal mail
• Use direct deposit for your paycheck.
• Ask suppliers to deliver materials in returnable/reusable containers.
• Use a thermos for beverages, reusable containers for snacks, a washable bag or plastic container for sandwiches and a cloth napkin. Pack it all in a reusable cloth bag or lunchbox.

Select products with the least wasteful packaging

The total amount of packaging waste stream has more and more. New products introduced in "convenience" packages are increasing yearly. The cost of this packaging is often passed on to the consumer. This means that buying less-packaged products can save you money.

• Avoid buying goods with unnecessary packaging, such as "blister-packs" that wrap items in plastic seals with cardboard backing, or "double-packaging," such as a bottle inside a box.
• Avoid packaging made with mixed materials, such as paper laminated with plastic or foil. Given two equivalent products, choose the one packaged more simply, with no packaging or with a single, reusable or recyclable material.

Buy, maintain and repair durable products

Avoiding disposables goes hand-in-hand with buying durable and repairable products. Long-lasting clothing, tires, appliances and other items may cost more at first, but they usually save money in the long run. They need fewer repairs and will not have to be replaced as frequently.

• Select energy-efficient appliances and electronic equipment with good warranties and service contracts. Check consumer publications for articles on products with a record of high consumer satisfaction, good value and good repair records.
• Keep appliances in good working order. Follow manufacturers' suggestions for proper operation and maintenance.
• Before throwing a product away, check into repair and warranty options. This is often less expensive and more energy efficient than buying a new replacement.
• Buy digital thermometers, digital thermostats and standard light switches (rather than silent switches) for your home. These don't contain mercury.
• Buy long-lasting tires and maintain them. To extend tire life, check tire pressure once a month; follow the manufacturer's recommendations for upkeep and routine tire rotation; call auto repair shops to inquire about purchasing retreated or remanufactured tires instead of new ones.
• When possible, mend clothes and repair worn shoes, boots, handbags and briefcases. Shoe repair is often offered at stores where shoes are sold.
• Purchase durable furniture, luggage, sporting goods and tools.
• Buy energy-efficient fluorescent lights rather than incandescent ones. They last longer, reduce your electric bill, reduce the amount and toxicity of solid waste and reduce the need to generate electricity. Although they must be disposed of separately, the use of fluorescents instead of incandescent bulbs reduces the total amount of mercury released into the environment because they require significantly less energy to produce the same amount of light.

What is reuse?

Reusing items by repairing them, donating them to charity and community groups or selling them also reduces waste. Reusing, when possible, is preferable to recycling because the item does not need to be reprocessed before it can be used again.

Buy reusable products and avoid single-use items

We think of products as being disposable. But in reality products are moved around, buried or burned and the material goes somewhere, to be managed by others.

But some consumers wonder about the environmental impact of single-use products compared to items that must be washed before reuse. Isn't water a natural resource that we ought to conserve? Which has worse environmental consequences: single-use or reusable?

Although there is no "new" water created, it does get filtered and stored through natural and human-made systems. Water is a reusable resource and if we take care of it by using it conservatively and keeping it clean, water will be around for a long time. Landfill space is not naturally replenished or reusable.

The volume of household solid waste created by use of single-use products is far greater than that generated by the use of reusable goods.

What does recycle mean?

Recycling uses waste to make new products. Common recyclable materials are glass, paper, aluminum and steel. New technologies are making it possible to recycle other materials as well.

Recycling has become a standard practice among many Maltese. However, buying products that are recyclable and separating waste at the Bring-In Sites are only part of the recycling process. We must also buy products that are made from recycled materials.

Recyclables are commodities like any raw materials. If there is demand for recycled materials in manufacturing, their value will go up and the prices paid to recyclers will be higher. Consumers can help keep that demand high by searching for and buying products made from recycled materials. In doing so, we help support the recycled materials market and guarantee the success of our recycling programs.

Tips courtesy of Wasteserv Malta