Waste and Recycling

At the risk of creating more waste paper to recycle, one must applaud Watts for producing an up-to-date title on this most topical of subjects. The book is part of a series focusing on British issues, covering such areas as sustainable cities, population change and future energy. Compared to the Netherlands, Sweden and Germany, Britain’s recycling record is pretty dismal with the majority of our waste being dumped in landfill sites. Forecasts suggest that by 2010 we will have run out of such sites in the southeast of England. The way forward can only be to educate the population, to reduce the awful statistic of the average Briton discarding half a tonne of waste a year. The book is dense with statistics, charts and graphs, but there are also helpful fact boxes with questions suggesting topics for discussion and debate. A glossary is included together with a page on further information listing websites. A useful reference source for classroom or library use.