In this day and age is easy just to throw everything in the waste bin, without giving it a moment’s thought. But trash comes back to us in many different ways, none of them good. If you ever needed persuading to be mindful of what you throw away, watch this powerful video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUM58LIU2Lo . When you are finished watching, resolve to change your habits.
1. Plastic: In the first instance, try to avoid purchasing products packaged in plastic. Take your own fabric reusable shopping bags to the supermarket. If buying soda-choose tins or glass bottles over plastic. For unavoidable plastic usage, always recycle at your nearest recycling facility. Let’s clean up our oceans.
2. Batteries: Batteries contain hazardous substances such as lead, cadmium and mercury, which can leach out into the soil and contaminate our precious groundwater. Safely dispose of these at your nearest participating retailer (Woolworths/Pick and Pay) or hazardous waste center.
3. Light bulbs: The curly CFL light bulbs, and fluorescent bulbs both contain mercury which is toxic. Dispose of these at your nearest Woolworths/Pick and Pay.
4. Medicines: Expired and unwanted medicines should not be thrown in the bin, or flushed down the toilet where they will end up contaminating ground water. Return them to your pharmacy for safe disposal. If that is not possible, mix them with an unpleasant substance, such as coffee grounds or cat litter (to make them unlikely to be reused), place them in a sealed plastic bag and then dispose of in the normal way.
5. Food waste: Think of this as gold, and treat it accordingly. Put all your food waste in a compost heap where possible. Even apartment dwellers can build and maintain a worm bin. Both the liquid worm tea and solid compost obtained in this way are wonderfully nutritious plant food and soil boosters.
The best way to keep nasty stuff out of our bins, landfill sites, oceans and rivers is to reduce our consumption of goods. Ask yourself with every purchase, “Do I really need this?” For the rest, re-use and recycle wherever possible.
Author: Dr. Leigh De Decker