Waste Facts

Waste is a big problem in the United Kingdom. Every year, the UK produces 38 million tonnes of household, office and school waste. Most of this material, around 85%, ends up in landfill sites, 9% is incinerated and about 6% of it is recycled. This waste has significant environmental impact. For every tonne produced, it's estimated that 5 tonnes of waste has been generated at the point of product manufacture and 20 tonnes at the point of raw material extraction - an impact way beyond that on our own immediate doorstep.

What can be done to minimise this impact? As landfill sites become scarce, and costs rise through the recent introduction of the Landfill Tax, pressure is certainly increasing to reduce our dependency on landfill. At the same time, the health and pollution issues associated with waste incineration are not yet fully understood. Whilst landfill will remain a final option for some of our waste, much more can be done to minimise waste at source, re-use materials, and to recycle. The three R's - reduce, re-use and recycle - should be our top priority in helping to stem the increasing tide of waste.

These pages contain all of the facts and figures you may wish to see on waste. They will also provide you with links for advice and information. We have also included a list of all our recent research and publications. Should you wish to obtain a copy of any of these please email us at: waste@surreycc.gov.uk