NOT a load of rubbish

The waste hierarchy

The waste hierarchy gives the top priorities to prevent waste. It ranks waste management options against what’s best for the environment.

When waste is created, you should give priority to:

reduce
reuse and repair
recycle
energy recovery
disposal

Reducing waste and why it’s important

There are carbon emissions associated with everything you buy. The best thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint is reduce the amount of things you buy.

To reduce your waste you should:

consider if you need to replace or replenish something instead of buying new
use rechargeable batteries
buy produce with no packaging
bring your own bag
use reusable containers when buying lunch
reduce paper usage by switching to digital
swap disposable coffee cups for reusable ones
use reusable kitchenware

Reduce your food waste

In Jersey around 35% of our household waste is food or kitchen waste.

To reduce this:

follow recipes that use leftovers, which also saves you money
check best before dates on food
compost your food waste
download and use apps such as Remy

Reusing items and recycling

Many items can be reused by being:

repaired
upcycled
hired
replaced
donated

If you have to buy new, consider:

the materials the product is made from
if the product is made from recycled or recyclable materials
if the product is transported from across the world
if you can buy the product second hand

Recycling is often the default option but we still use energy to return the recyclable material into the supply chain. Although recycling is still a better alternative than the waste bin.

Find out what is recyclable in Jersey and where on the A to Z recycling finder.

Parish recycling collection and facilities

What waste and climate change mean for Jersey

In Jersey our household and commercial waste is sent to the Energy Recovery Facility. In 2022 we burnt 70,676 tonnes of waste.

Burning waste creates carbon emissions which contribute to climate change. It also produces an ash called incinerator bottom ash, which has to be shipped to the UK for specialist recycling.

Embodied carbon

Embodied carbon is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced in the manufacturing of a product. Greenhouse gases will likely have been produced at every stage of production and in transporting the product to you.

Embodied carbon includes:

what products are made of, including extracting raw materials
how the resources used in manufacture were created
the manufacturing process
transportation

These emissions are accounted for in the carbon emissions reporting in the country of manufacture. In Jersey, these embodied emissions are our scope 3 emissions.

Jersey’s climate change strategy

The principle 1 in our Carbon Neutral Strategy says it's important that we understand the impact our local choices have across the world to be better prepared in reducing our emissions. This includes our scope 3 emissions, because these emissions are created on our behalf in the manufacturing of the goods and services off-Island.

The Carbon Neutral Roadmap is Jersey’s long-term climate action plan. In the Roadmap policy OE1 promotes low-carbon lifestyles. Reducing what we use and waste, reduces waste as well as embodied carbon emissions.

Waste audits for businesses and management

A waste audit can help businesses understand what waste they produce. The waste audit guide gives you the information and resources you’ll need to carry out your audit.

Find out more at waste reduction for businesses.