Waste benefits

Households, commerce and industry generate millions of tonnes of waste every year in England.

A high proportion of this waste ends up in landfill, where the biodegradable parts produce methane (a potent greenhouse gas). Reducing waste is key in moving towards 'one planet living'.

Sustainable waste management strategies contribute to climate change and waste reduction targets as well as improving the quality of neighbourhoods, particularly for those in poorer communities.

Better quality of life

Sustainable waste planning and management improves our quality of life by:

• increasing community control by integrating waste management into local neighbourhoods
• providing local recycling points to help keep streets and parks clean
• reducing noise pollution and disturbance from lorry traffic.

Healthier community

Air pollution is estimated to reduce life expectancy by seven to eight months. Sustainable waste planning and management improves our health and wellbeing by:

• reducing air pollution from decomposing waste
• reducing air pollution from lorries and facilities (through strict environmental standards).

Stronger local economy

Sustainable waste planning and management improves local economies by:

• creating green jobs through local investment in recycling, composting, waste processing and energy recovery facilities
• supporting the development of new businesses through waste technology and industry development
• reducing costs of waste treatment and disposal
• providing a cheap supply of second hand goods and materials
• reducing the amount of land required for landfill.

Protection from climate change

Sustainable waste planning and management mitigates climate change by:

• reducing methane production from landfill - methane has a global warming potential 21 times that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year time horizon
• lowering carbon dioxide emissions through transporting less waste
• preventing extraction of natural materials and reducing use of fossil fuels in production by re-using and recycling existing materials
• supplying a lower carbon option for energy and heat production and meeting the renewables obligation, which provides support for electricity produced from the biomass content of waste
• reducing energy used in treating waste, especially sewage.