8 scary facts about waste

‘Tis the season of all things scary, so we thought we’d get into the ‘spirit’ of things by sharing eight frightening facts about waste. Some of them are pretty shocking, but fear not - there are things that can be done to reduce our impact on the environment...

1. The amount of waste generated in the UK could fill Lake Windermere in just eight months

 Lake Windermere is Britain’s biggest lake, but the rubbish produced in the UK could fill it up entirely in just eight months. While we’re all bound to create waste, what’s important is for us to limit it as much as possible by following the three R's: reduce, reuse, recycle. That goes for at home and at work – read our tips for going green in the office here.

2. Every year we throw away over 600 million batteries

Single-use batteries are clogging up landfill sites, which is why we’re encouraging customers to make the switch to rechargeables, which can be reused hundreds of times (and often well over a thousand times!).

3. UK households bin 24 million slices of bread every day

Simple tricks, like toasting bread straight out of the freezer, can help cut back on the huge amount of bread thrown away every day.

4. We throw out 7.2 million tonnes of food every year...

...half of which is perfectly edible! It’s time to put an end to Britain’s throwaway culture – here’s how you can help.

5. By 2050, the ocean will contain more plastic waste (by weight) than fish

 Plastic is clogging up our oceans and killing marine life at an unprecedented rate. One of the best ways you can help is to ditch plastic bottles once and for all, swapping to a reusable alternative, and avoiding unnecessary plastic packaging at the supermarket.

6. 83 square kilometres of wrapping paper will be chucked in our bins this Christmas

If wrapping paper scrunches, and it’s not foil- or glitter-decorated, it can be recycled. Make sure you only buy recyclable paper, and remove labels and sellotape before putting it in your bin. And remember: recycling isn’t just for Christmas. Master the skills to become a year-round recycling ninja here.

7. The number of disposable nappies an average baby gets through weighs the same as a family car

 The design and comfort of reusable nappies are improving all the time, and will help to limit the amount of waste in landfill. More and more online companies are cropping up, making it easier than ever to use recyclable nappies by providing a regular laundry service. They can also save parents around £200 to £500 over two and a half years for their first baby!

8. A leaky tap can waste 5,000 litres of water a year

It’s not just rubbish waste we need to think of. If we all fixed our leaking taps, the combined water it would save could supply 120,000 people with water for a day.

What is GP doing to limit waste?

At GP, we’re doing our bit to reduce our impact on the environment wherever we can, and are encouraging others to do the same. We’ve launched our Reduce Your Footprint campaign which calls on consumers and retailers to make a pledge to protect our planet by making small changes to the way they live. You can make the pledge to reduce, recycle and recharge with GP on our campaign website, where you’ll also find lots of handy hints and tips. Make your pledge today…