Campaign aims to reduce waste created by Islanders

International Waste Day poster. (35516925)

A WASTE reduction campaign has been launched by the government to help reduce the roughly 100,000 tonnes of waste the Island produces every year.

The ‘NOT a load of rubbish’ campaign follows yesterday’s International Zero Waste Day, which aims to promote sustainable consumption and support Jersey’s aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions.

Environment Minister Jonathan Renouf said: ‘The production of pollution and waste is amongst the biggest challenges we face, and a lot of it can be tackled by looking at our throwaway economy.’

He added: ‘I hope Islanders engage with this awareness campaign and start to implement little steps that can make a big difference in the long term.’

A reduction in rubbish would mean less refuse being burnt at the Energy from Waste plant, according to the Infrastructure and Environment Department.

A series of engagement sessions are planned for next month about the importance of waste reduction. Educational social media posts and videos will also be shared.

Deputy Renouf said: ‘This campaign aims to encourage Islanders to look at the way they consume, and consider ways to reduce the amount of waste they produce both at work and at home.’

Sustainability and climate change and engagement manager Jade Burns added: ‘As we journey towards carbon net zero, as outlined in our Carbon Neutral Roadmap, our priorities should be about preventing waste and reusing what we already have. Recycling is often seen as the solution, but to really make a difference we need to become more knowledgeable on waste and reduce the amount we buy in the first place.’

The department is also encouraging businesses to carry out a waste audit to help them understand what rubbish is produced and how they can create more sustainable workplaces.

For more information about waste audits, visit wastereduction.gov.je.

Organisations and Islanders who would like to get involved in the campaign can get in touch with the government’s Eco Active team by emailing ecoactive@gov.je.

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