Only one in four of the 6 billion aluminium cans consumed in 1994 were recycled. Achieving a 40 per cent recycling rate would create up to 11,550 additional UK jobs. Out of a survey of 100 landfill sites, at least 1 in 3 experienced surface or groundwater contamination. An artificial lake half the size of Wales has been built to do this, displacing 80,000 people. Over 20 million tonnes of UK domestic waste goes to landfill sites where it is buried in large holes in the ground.
Toxic substances can leak from landfill sites and pollute underground water supplies.
Rotting waste also produces methane, an explosive hazard and potent greenhouse gas. Reducing waste will help reduce these risks. The favoured alternative disposal method to landfilling in the UK is burning waste in incinerators. Burning waste can release harmful substances such as dioxins, which even at very low levels harm the environment and human health. Toxic ash from incinerators still has to be disposed of to landfills and can be potentially more polluting due to higher concentration of toxins.