Looking after the environment

Story 6 of 8

Recycle as much of your waste as you can. There are three good reasons:

Making new products from recycled materials uses less energy.
We don't need to dig as many raw materials out of the ground.
There is less rubbish, so less goes to landfill (big holes in the ground where waste is buried).

If you live in England, you can use a recycling website (recyclenow.com) to see what can be recycled at home and nearby. Wales and Scotland have their own websites, and in Northern Ireland you can ask your local council.

Wheelie bins and recycling boxes lined up by the road on a housing estate in Wales — Collection day on a housing estate in Cwmbran, Wales, with wheelie bins and recycling boxes lined up by the road. Each local council runs its own rubbish and recycling, so bin colours, sorting rules and collection days change from one area to the next. After moving house, check the rules where you now live. Photo: Jaggery / Geograph, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Another good way to support your community is to shop locally when you can. This helps businesses and farmers in your area and across the UK, and it also reduces your carbon footprint (the amount of greenhouse gas your life produces), because what you buy doesn't have to travel so far.

When you can, walk or use public transport. Both cause less pollution than driving.

Quiz

Which of the following statements is correct?

Chapter contents: Your Role in the Community