The first official European Week for Waste Reduction is to take place in November 2009, and the East of England is leading the way as the only region taking part.
The week aims to inform people about simple actions they can take to help contribute to waste reduction. The week is supported by the European Commission’s LIFE+ Programme.
The UK Government is seeking to halve the amount of waste produced by each household in the land by 2010.
A series of events are planned throughout the week, focussing on the following five themes:
- Too much waste
- Better production
- Better consumption
- A long life for products
- Less waste thrown away
The organisers agrue that waste reduction starts at the supermarket. By making slight alterations to shopping lists waste can be significantly reduced in and around the home aFor example:
- Buy only what you need;
- Buy products that can be reused, like rechargeable batteries and bottles instead of cans;
- Buy all-purpose household cleaner instead of different ones for each job;
- Buy products with little packaging so that less ends up in your bin. For items you use regularly, buy them in bulk instead of in smaller amounts.
- Borrow items or share them
The organisers are look for the week to be an annual event.s
