Where Does Rubbish Go? And How to Reduce Waste | DynoRod

IT'S ALL GONE DOWN THE DRAIN

Whether we’ve done it knowingly or by accident, we’ve all contributed to ocean pollution at some point in our lives. But which areas of the UK create the most? Are consumers or corporations most to blame? And where does our rubbish end up?


Dive below the surface to discover the impact that we’re having on our planet, from drain to ocean.

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WHO'S THE WORST WITH WASTE?

Before we can understand the global impact of the waste in our oceans, we need to take a look at our contribution to the problem given that the UK produces over 200 million tonnes of rubbish every year.


Select your region to find out just how much municipal / household waste your area is contributing.



REGION: SOUTH EAST

10%

LANDFILL

20%

RECYCLED

40%

INCINERATED

30%

OTHER



THE EXTENT OF BRITISH EXPORTS

It’s a little known fact that we also send large amounts of our waste to other countries around the globe who have more relaxed attitudes and rules about its disposal.


Follow our rubbish on its long and winding journey to the other side of the world.


WHERE DO THE CURRENTS TAKE OUR TRASH?

Whether it’s blown off landfill sites or poured down drains, once it reaches the sea, our waste is taken on a number of different journeys, influenced by the currents in our oceans.


Discover how they transport our rubbish naturally and where it normally ends up.



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THE EXTENT OF BRITISH EXPORTS

  • Nearly two-thirds of the UK’s plastic waste went to China and Hong Kong from January 2012 to September 2017.
  • Malaysia is the main destination for our plastic waste. Following the ban on exports to China, we’ve more than trebled our exports to Malaysia.
  • In the first four months of 2018, the UK exported 31% more waste to Malaysia, a rise of almost 3,000 tonnes to 11,899 tonnes.
  • Exports to Vietnam increased by 50% from 9,680 to 14,570 tonnes and the amount sent to Thailand increased fifty-fold.
  • All three of these countries are among the top 10 contributors to plastic waste in our ocean.
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WHERE DO THE CURRENTS TAKE OUR TRASH?

  • Waste dropped in the sea off Cornwall and the South of England may well be dragged through the channel towards Scandinavia, but the greatest concentrations end up in the Bay of Biscay and the western North Atlantic.
  • Waste deposited to the north of the UK circulates between Norway, Iceland and Greenland before being pulled down into the Atlantic Ocean
  • Waste entering the North Sea is pulled further North and is subjected to the currents between Norway, Iceland and Greenland again before entering the Atlantic Ocean.


BUSTING THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH MYTH

With currents constantly transporting waste across the globe, rubbish gets caught at the points where they churn the most, called gyres. The most notorious example of this is the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch. However, what you may not know is that UK waste actually ends up in the North Atlantic Garbage Patch.


Find out what it’s made of and discover the sheer size of our very own man-made monstrosity now.



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BUSTING THE GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH MYTH

When talking about garbage patches, it makes sense to start with the most infamous example of them all... The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which has received notoriety through worldwide press coverage. However, it’s actually the North Atlantic Garbage Patch that’s home to the waste we dispose of due to the currents. We take a look at how this monstrosity was created and the types of waste that make up the majority of its structure.

  • In 2019 Greenpeace found concentrations of nearly 1,300 fragments of microplastics in The Great Atlantic Garbage Patch, which is more than the levels found in its Pacific counterpart.
  • It’s estimated that The Great Atlantic Garbage Patch is hundreds of kilometres in size and has a density of 200,000 pieces of trash per square kilometre in certain areas.
  • However, Debris can sink several metres below the surface making it near impossible to know the true size of this “island” of trash.
  • Divers have found a huge range of objects like shampoo bottles, fishing gear, containers and plastic bags but the most dangerous to the environment are the fragments of microplastics.


WHAT ABOUT
THE OTHER
PATCHES?

Unfortunately, our problem with patches doesn’t stop there. They form in every gyre around the world so, worryingly, there are actually five Great Garbage Patches constantly growing in our oceans.


Discover the scale of the problem and how many patches there actually are now.



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WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER PATCHES?

  • The big five include: The North Atlantic, South Pacific, Indian Ocean, South Atlantic and the Great Pacific which is split into West and East Pacific gyres.
  • All five help to circulate the ocean waters around the globe but they’re also drawing in the pollution that we release in coastal areas, known as marine debris.
  • As well as large pieces of waste, the constant churning of these gyres breaks plastics down into microplastics that are ingested by marine wildlife with devastating consequences.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (East and West):

  • Contains 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic
  • Estimated to weigh around 80,000 tons
  • Covers a surface of approximately 617,763 square miles (1.6 million square kilometres)
  • The patch is also constantly growing given that to 2.41 million tons of plastic and garbage enter the ocean each year

North Atlantic:

  • Precise measurements of The North Atlantic Garbage Patch are unknown but scientists think it is hundreds of miles in size
  • The patch likely has a particle density somewhere around 7,220 pieces per square kilometre

South Pacific Garbage Patch:

  • Estimated to have a surface area of 1 million square miles (2.6 square kilometres)
  • And a particle density of approximately 396,342 particles per square mile in the center of the patch

Indian Ocean Garbage Patch:

  • Due to its remote location, the Indian Ocean garbage patch is difficult to study
  • Some studies estimate its size at 843,046 square miles (2,183,480 square kilometres)
  • However, some put it as high as 2 million square miles (5 million square kilometres)

The South Atlantic:

  • The South Atlantic Garbage patch is fairly small in comparison to other patches
  • This patch covers roughly 276,263 square miles (715,520 square kilometres)
  • It has a particular density of 40,000 pieces per kilometre
  • It’s estimated to contain about 2,860 tons of plastic


WAYS TO STOP POLLUTING

DO NOT pour fat from cooking or any other type of fat, oil, or grease down the sink. Keep a “fat jar” under the sink to collect the fat and discard it with the solid waste when full.

DO NOT dispose of household chemicals or cleaning agents, pills, liquid or powder medications or drugs down the toilet.

Avoid using the toilet as a wastebasket. Most tissues, wrappers, dust cloths, and other paper goods should be properly discarded in a wastebasket.


Run the dishwasher or clothes washer only when you have a full load. This conserves electricity and water.

Use the minimum amount of detergent and/or bleach when you are washing clothes or dishes. Use only phosphate free soaps and detergents.

Minimize the use of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers. DO NOT dispose of these chemicals, motor oil or other automotive fluids into the sanitary sewer or storm sewer systems. Both of them end at the river.


Discover more ways to reduce your household headaches and keep your drains clear


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IT'S ALL GONE DOWN THE DRAIN