In the course of a year each person living in Greater London will create almost half a tonne of waste. If waste continues to grow as it has done over the past decade there will be twice as much to deal with by 2020. Landfilling the waste by burying it in holes in the ground is becoming more difficult in the South East as we run out of space. In Richmond upon Thames our waste is transported to a landfill site in Bedfordshire. There are also environmental problems as rotting waste creates methane - a powerful greenhouse gas, and can produce leachate (a poisonous liquid).
We cannot sustain our current throw away lfiestyle and need to reassess what we do with our waste. It is estimated that up to 1,000 tones of furniture may be thrown away each year in Richmond upon Thames. Beds, chairs, tables and sofas in clean and good condition could all be reused, threby reducing pollution and improving the quality of life for people on low incomes.