• Question: Is it true that in 5 years all the land fill sites will be full up? If yes, what do you think will we do about it?

    Asked by rider491 to Claire, Kate, Matt, Rob, Sam on 24 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Sam Geen

      Sam Geen answered on 24 Jun 2013:

      There’s a long and very boring article here, if you’re interested in the details on UK landfill policy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landfills_in_the_United_Kingdom

      One thing is that people in the UK are burning more waste now than they were, since this doesn’t use landfill space (or not as much). Another option is to ship it to other countries, but this is pretty antisocial as the other country will have to deal with our rubbish.

    • Photo: Matthew Pankhurst

      Matthew Pankhurst answered on 25 Jun 2013:

      In the past we’ve just dig more holes in the ground! But, we know this is just making the problem bigger for our kids and grandkids, and us now! So, recycling, re-using and making less rubbish in the first place is what we have to do!

    • Photo: Robert Woolfson

      Robert Woolfson answered on 25 Jun 2013:

      On a slight side note, there is something called the great pacific garbage patch. It’s one of half a dozen places in the oceans where the currents sweep loads and loads of rubbish and just leave it there.

      They’re naturally occurring places but are quite hard to find because most of the plastic decomposes and is just small particles suspended in the water. The one in the pacific is around 2500 square kilometer big and is full of things that are very bad for water based life.

      Another strong argument for recycling more and dumping less waste.

      http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/great-pacific-garbage-patch.htm

    • Photo: Claire Lee

      Claire Lee answered on 28 Jun 2013:

      Babies disposable nappies are terrible for this!! I think that the expensive brands nowadays are able to decompose, but for the most part they don’t which is horrible (especially considering what you use them for).

      One thing people are starting to do is use reusable nappies – not the horrid things your grandmother used though! But basically an outer funky pants type of thing that you can rewash, and then there is a liner you put inside that you can flush down the toilet.

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