Consumption and waste
Emissions baseline
Emissions from waste account for 3.4% of total emissions. It excludes the full product life cycle, so reducing resource overuse remains essential.
Reducing consumption and waste
What we make, buy and waste all contribute to climate change and biodiversity loss. To combat this, reducing waste, reusing, repairing, and recycling must become priorities. Waste needs to be minimised, and where it does exist, we must innovate to harness its potential for re-purposing into new products or for generating clean energy.
Bradford District aims to transition towards a zero-waste, circular economy that maximises resource efficiency, and fosters green job creation.
Bradford district produces a high level of waste, with 64% of collected material being general waste or waste from Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs). The target of household waste sent for re-use, recycling or composting is 40%, however, domestic recycling rates are hindered by contamination.
Waste contributes less than 4% of Bradford’s emissions, however 61% of these emissions come from landfill. Reducing waste at its source is critical for addressing consumption-related emissions. Emissions from food waste is also a significant problem, with UK families wasting £80 of food monthly.
Mitigation and adaptation actions
- Procurement influence on supply chains
- Develop and implement single-use plastic policy
- Public education on food waste and collection
- Promote Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle
- Introduce Deposit Return Scheme (DRS)
- Prioritise reduction of food waste
- Assess feasibility of generating renewable energy from food waste
- Promote business support on circular economy and sustainable business practices.
