Air pollution significantly impacts our health, with long-term effects lasting years or even a lifetime. These effects can include heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory diseases such as emphysema. Nearly 2.5 million people die worldwide each year from outdoor and indoor air pollution.
Various legislations have been enacted to clean the air we breathe, including the Clean Air Act of 1956, the Waste Incineration Directive of 2005, and the recent implementation of low emission zones in major cities. However, there is still more we can do to improve the situation.
At Waste Experts, all our vehicles are equipped with Euro 6 engines, reducing emissions as much as current technology allows. Our vehicles also have telematics to monitor driving styles, helping our drivers maximise fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.
We are actively working with vehicle partners to invest in new technology and plan to replace our fleet with cleaner technology when it becomes available. Our goals include:
- Replacing our entire company car fleet with electric or hybrid vehicles by 2030.
- Reducing business miles traveled through better journey planning.
- Achieving a 5% reduction in WEEE miles traveled each year.
Individuals can also take steps to reduce vehicle pollution if an electric vehicle is not currently an option:
- Keep tires correctly inflated. Low tire pressure increases fuel consumption and CO2 emissions; a tire under-inflated by 20% reduces fuel economy by the same amount.
- Use car automated stop/start technology, or if not fitted, switch off the engine when stationary for extended periods. Contrary to common belief, idling for 10 seconds wastes more fuel than restarting.
- Reduce speed while observing speed limits. Most vehicle pollution occurs at speeds below 15 mph and above 60 mph. Planning your journey with live traffic updates and setting off earlier can optimise your travel.
- Avoid racing to beat traffic lights or speeding away from a stop. This behavior is dangerous and can increase fuel consumption by up to 30%.
Beyond transport emissions, waste incineration also contributes significantly to pollution, with each tonne of general waste incinerated releasing between 0.7 and 1.7 tonnes of CO2. Evidence suggests that more than half of what is currently incinerated could be recycled or composted, indicating that much of the Energy from Waste capacity is being used to burn valuable resources.
At Waste Experts, we offer solutions to reduce waste incineration through effective segregation and reduction techniques. Our WEEE treatment facility is designed to ensure no emissions are released into the air, with harmful chemicals captured and contained in carbon.
