Planet Cornwall

Planet Cornwall

Over the next few months BBC Cornwall will be leading the campaign, 'Planet Cornwall' which will be raising awareness of green issues inside and outside of the home. We will be looking into aspects such as conserving energy, saving water, recycling, wildlife and protecting the Cornish and Scillonian environment.

I think it is fair to say that the majority of us live in Cornwall because it is such a beautiful place. The air is cleaner, the views are expansive and the sea is on our doorstep.

The statistics below prove we need to pull together and change our habits. It is our responsibility to keep Cornwall as 'green' as we can so that our future generations don't have to pay the price of our behaviour.

* Every year Cornish residents throw away more than 300 million steel cans, steel cans are 100% recyclable. The energy saved by recycling 1 aluminium drinks can is enough to run a television for three hours

* Every year Cornish residents use 71 million glass jars and bottles...... that's nearly one hundred and twenty for every person that lives here. That's more than two a week each!

* In one year Cornwall throws away over 117 million recyclable plastic bottles. That's nearly 200 each - a lot of milkshakes!

* At the moment in Cornwall more than one in five of us recycle...nationally it's more like one in 7....they need to catch up!

* Percentage of waste currently going to landfill in Cornwall = 77%

* Every household produces 576kg of household waste a year. That's the same as more than one hundred and forty tins of beans....imagine if you live in a house of six!

* The total waste produced in the UK last year - that's 400 million tons - would fill 74 Eden Projects!

* Amount of Waste going to landfill in Cornwall (2003/4) = 225,635 tonnes that's the same weight as eight thousand three hundred and fifty seven jumbo jets!

* In just one year we fill enough household dustbins to reach from the earth to the moon. That's a lot of rubbish!

* You could save approximately £37 a year just by switching your appliances off by the on/off button on the wall.

* Households now spend about 10 per cent of their electricity bill on standby power.

* Every year TVs in the UK use £116 million of electricity just waiting to be switched on.

* If everyone boiled only the water they needed to make a cup of tea instead of "filling" the kettle every time, enough electricity could be saved in a year to run nearly half of the street lighting in the country.

* For every £50 spent on food by the average household £8 goes on packaging costs. Adding around £480 a year to the average food bill.

* We pay for packaging twice. Once at the supermarket checkout and then again through council tax - to dispose of it.

* Shoppers travel an average of 898 miles a year by car to shop for food.

Keep checking our section for more information, hints and tips as to how you can lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.