Some people recycle their waste. Recycling is the processing of waste or rubbish back into raw materials so that it can be made into new items. This benefits the individual, the community and the planet. For example, people can buy fewer disposable items and more that have a longer life-span. They can also re-use products - use the same carrier bags for shopping, buy refillable items, and repair products instead of buying replacements.

About 83 per cent of waste is dumped in landfill sites - huge holes in the ground. Poorly managed landfill sites produce a toxic sludge from rotting waste. The waste contaminates ground water and releases gas methane which can contribute to climate changes.

About nine per cent of household waste is incinerated - but this disposal method can create pollutants, including the gases that cause acid rain. Acid rain damages the environment and threatens people’s health. Recycling waste helps to avoid these problems. For example, recycling aluminium cans and foil saves 95 per cent of the energy required to produce new aluminium. Recycling these, and paper and glass, also reduces the need for raw material extraction, which often causes widespread environmental damage - and it also reduces the need for landfill space and incinerators.

Find out what you can do in the house and garden to help protect the environment.