Campaigners from the green group Friends of the Earth say that the United Kingdom wastes hundreds of millions of pounds a year by tossing garbage which could be recycled. Friends of the Earth estimates that twenty four million tonnes of recyclable materials such as plastics end up in UK landfills each year. The group claims that the UK is literally burying money by not recycling as many of these materials can be sold for profit. Not only can recycling be financially profitable, but of course it can help reduce the carbon footprint left in the United Kingdom.
The United Kingdom has come under fire over the past few months, for falling behind most of the rest of Europe when it comes to recycling and waste management. The European Union outlined specific directives for each of its member countries when it comes to recycling and waste management. The EU directive mandates that each of its member countries reduce the size of their landfills by fifty percent over the next five years. Many industry insiders say that the United Kingdom will fail to reach many of the goals outlined by the EU.
Friends of the Earth is trying to help the landfill issue by emphasizing the potential benefits, both financial and environmental, that the UK is passing up. For example, the group estimates that plastics dumped into landfills could generate about sixty hundred and fifty million pounds a year if it were to be sold on the open market. They also say that if aluminum and plastics were recycled it would make for nineteen million less tonnes of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
|
|
