Asked by: Caroline Smith, London

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In the UK, estimates typically range from six to eight years. But local authorities have been saying this since at least 2010 and we aren’t there yet. This is because EU directives have steadily increased the landfill tax, so councils have been driven to recycle more and more of their waste. In 2009, 90 per cent of our rubbish went to landfill. It’s less than 50 per cent now and forecast to drop to 10 per cent by 2020.


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Authors

luis villazon
Luis VillazonQ&A expert

Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.

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