Waste hierarchy
The waste hierarchy is designed to help you think about how you use resources and create waste. The best choices are at the top of the hierarchy. They produce the least waste and have the smallest impact on our environment.
The overall aim of the waste hierarchy is to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill.
| Approach |
Method |
| Avoid |
Avoid buying unnecessary products. The first and easiest way to reduce waste going in to landfill is to stop buying products you don’t need or that won’t last. |
| Reduce |
Reduce the number of disposable products you buy. Buy reusable products, products with less packaging and / or buy in bulk. |
| Reuse |
Reuse anything and everything you can. Many products can be given a second life after being used for their original purpose. |
| Recycle |
Recycling is the process of turning old products into new ones to stop useful materials being sent to landfill. Recycling is in the middle of the waste hierarchy because products should only be recycled if they can’t be avoided, reduced or reused. |
| Other recovery |
Other recovery involves getting energy from waste. This can be achieved by using the by-products of physical or biological processes like waste decomposition. Examples of waste recovery include heat from fire or gas from anaerobic decomposition. |
| Treat |
Treatment is any process used to reduce the environmental threat of waste by changing its chemical, biological or physical state. |
| Dispose |
Disposal is the least preferred choice of the waste hierarchy because it means that the waste is sent to landfill. When a product is disposed of in landfill, it will slowly decompose, take up landfill space and add to environmental problems. |
Reuse
Minimising waste and maximising item reuse presents an excellent opportunity to reduce your environmental impact. There are numerous alternatives to actively contribute to preserving our planet.
Ways to reuse:
- Invest in refillable water bottles and coffee cups for on-the-go sustainability.
- Always carry a reusable shopping bag to minimise reliance on single-use options.
- Extend the lifespan of your clothing by repairing buttons, fixing zips or adjusting hems instead of buying new items.
- Reuse wrapping paper and gift bags to reduce unnecessary waste.
- Transform old clothing, towels or sheets into cleaning rags or cloths.
- Choose durable, long-lasting items like rechargeable batteries, and use real crockery and cutlery instead of disposable alternatives during gatherings.
Recycle
Recycling is the process of turning old products into new products. Recycling stops valuable items from being thrown away and buried in landfill.
Various items can be put in your recycling bin or taken to our waste facilities. Only place the following items in your recycling bin:
All items collected from recycle bins are taken to a Materials Recovery Facility. This is where the mixed recyclables are sorted into categories and prepared for transport and sale.
For information about where you can take other recyclable materials, see our A to Z of waste disposal.
Why do we recycle?
Less energy is used to recycle an old product than to create a new one.
Everything ever made has at some point been made from raw materials sourced from the earth. Most of the natural resources used to make these products are non-renewable. Recycling means these natural resources can be used again. Recycling also reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill, which can help to save:
- fuel used for transportation
- space used for landfill
- greenhouse gas emissions.
Recycled items can be made into a variety of useful products. They are not necessarily turned into the same product every time. For example, steel and aluminium can be turned into bike parts, appliances and car parts. Plastic bottles can be turned into polar fleeces, backpacks, sleeping bags and ski suit insulation.