All natural processes are cyclical and none of them produce waste. The “waste” product of one species or product is the food or fuel for another.

Human activity produces a vast amount of waste, which is not usable or not used, but which pollutes the environment and uses up resources unsustainably.

The story of waste: watch this little film about waste to find out more about the cycle (admittedly it’s not very local, but you get the idea….)

The “three Rs” to combat this are

• REDUCE using or buying consumables

• REUSE them where possible rather than getting rid of them

• RECYCLE those you need to get rid of, rather than throwing them away.

Businesses and organisations increasingly find that this policy is not only good for the environment but also for profits. A leading approach to systems to reduce waste is the Natural Step developed by the Swedish scientist Karl-Henrik Robert.

Closer to home there are many ways you can implement the three Rs, apart from using the local authority recycling service. For example, Freecycle is a fantastic way of getting rid of (or getting hold of) stuff with less impact on the environment. Sign up to your local group today.

Charlbury Waste Action Group (CWAG) have a brilliant A-Z of what can be disposed of where in the local/Oxfordshire area. It is on their website here.