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There are more than 60 projects in the Biffaward mass balance programme that have revealed fascinating pieces of information about the region, sector or material being studied. With the majority now complete we can begin to make comparisons between the results of different projects. If you are unsure about the terms used, please visit our jargon buster. |
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The research on Greater London revealed the relatively high level of resource consumption by Londoners (6.65 tonnes (t) per head per year, compared to a national average of 6.13t and only 5.5t on the Isle of Wight). Each person in London would require an area roughly equivalent to eight football pitches to provide for their current levels of consumption. The South East GDP was £140billion in 2002, making it the 22nd largest economy in the world |
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The average Londoner consumes approximately 10 times their own body weight in food each year. Each tonne of waste incinterated generates 1-2 tonnes of CO2 |
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In 2001 the south west resident's ecological footprint was 27.4 million gha (global hectares) or 5.56 gha per person. If everyone on the planet consumed as much as an average south west resident we would need three Earths to support global resource consumption sustainably. While in the South East region, the ecological footprint for the average person in the South East region is 7 gha - 5 times larger than the land area of the region. More than 50 million tyres were scrapped in the UK in 2001 |
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The ecological footprint of Scotland was 27,082,915 gha equating to 5.35 gha per person. Animal digestive processes and maures release about 40% of the UK's methane |
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More than 350mt of materials per year flow through the construction sector which generates 90mt of wastes while adding 270mt to the stock of buildings. Although it recycles 46mt of materials, the amount still going to waste disposal suggests considerable further potential for recycling. A new window is installed in Britain every six seconds |
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Two studies of resource flows related to agriculture have identified it as comparable to construction in terms of waste generation, being responsible for 94mt per year, or 22 per cent of total UK waste arisings. Much of this waste is either potentially polluting, or could be used as an energy source. Studies such as these increase understanding of both the associated problems and the opportunities. Schools can save £17.85 per pupil each year by using energy efficiency measures |
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Only 34 per cent of glass in the UK is recycled (compared to 92 per cent in Switzerland), and the sector faces a challenge to increase this according to the requirements of the Packaging, End-of-Life-Vehicles and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directives. The sector urgently needs better information on waste arisings by region to enable it to plan new recycling infrastructure. Around 573 million magazines are unsold each year |
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The paper and board industry uses 7.2mt of pulp each year, of which 4.9mt is derived from waste paper, a recycling rate of 69% that has increased from 59 per cent in 1996. The industry has also reduced its water use by 70 per cent over the last 20 years. On average five reams of paper per employee goes to landfill |