A recent study showed that while household recycling rates have gone up in the United Kingdom, business and industrial waste continues to be put into landfills. This is a major problem, as a vast majority of the rubbish that ends up in landfills is produced by businesses and industry. Some have criticized the government of the United Kingdom for failing to put more pressure on businesses to create less waste. The individuals who work in these companies are also to blame, as many Brits have admitted that they are far more wasteful at work than they are at home. A recent report by the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs committee outlined exactly what the government needs to do to get businesses more interested in cutting their waste.
The first step is to show businesses the value that can be found in the rubbish that they are throwing away. Things like old computers, printers, fax machines, and other electronics can all be recycled and in some cases companies could get money for these old items that they are just throwing away. Also, businesses are currently being allowed to buy carbon credits which allow them to offset their carbon emissions by planting trees or giving to green charities. Although this seems like a good idea, it really just allows companies to continue to pollute by simply paying money and doesn’t really lead to less emissions, or the changes that will be necessary for the future. EFRA also said that waste management enforcement needed more government support and funding.
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