The Big Green Myth Buster

1. The Big Green Myth Buster Do you know fact from fiction? www.consumercouncil.org.uk

2. Instructions This is Trevor! He’s a consumer who wants to be environmentally friendly but finds it hard because there are so many ‘green myths’. Read each of the following statements and discuss whether it’s ‘Myth’ or ‘Fact’. Keep a record of how many you get right and see how good you are at spotting the ‘green myths’.

3. Councils’ recycling collections end up using more energy than if I'd just put all my rubbish in the same bin to be collected once. 1 Myth Q Fact

4. This is a Myth! Bin lorries would still have to collect your rubbish, even if there was no recycling. Also, it’s better to use the energy to collect and recycle aluminium, glass and cardboard than to throw these into landfill and make the same materials from scratch all over again.

5. Carbon offsetting would cure climate change and help the environment if we all started doing it. 2 Myth Q Fact

6. This is a Myth! The basic idea behind carbon offsetting is that you pay to fund environmental projects, such as a wind farm that neutralises carbon emissions caused by air travel. Carbon offsetting won’t cure climate change because you’re only taking out what you put in – so the net effect on the environment is zero.

7. 3 Tetra Pak cartons can’t be recycled as they’re made from so many different materials. Myth Q Fact

8. This is a Myth! The need to separate the different materials used in the cartons can make them a bit tricky but not impossible to recycle. Tetra Pak can be recycled in over 80% of all local authority areas in the UK or else you can send them back to the manufacturer to be recycled.

9. 4 It’s possible to run a car on vegetable oil instead of environmentally-harmful petrol and diesel. Myth Q Fact

10. This is a Myth! This is technically true if your car currently takes diesel. But while it’s scientifically possible to run a diesel engine on straight vegetable oil, it doesn’t meet any recognised quality standards and could damage your engine or invalidate your warranty (or both). Good quality bio-fuels that don’t require engine modifications are available. However, at the moment there’s a debate about whether forests will be destroyed to grow crops for fuel.

11. 5 Councils won’t collect some types of food packaging as it can’t be recycled. Myth Q Fact

12. This is a Myth! Almost all the 50-odd types of plastic that are manufactured can be recycled, but councils often only focus on recycling some of the easier ones to sort and recycle – and where there's a good market for the recycled product. If the council doesn’t collect all types of packaging, check if the local recycling centre has a facility for these.

13. It’s always better for the environment to buy UK-grown produce than fruit or vegetables that have travelled half way around the world. 6 Myth Q Fact

14. This is a Myth! Not necessarily. According to DEFRA[1], it’s better for the environment to transport tomatoes from Spain than grow them in the UK outside our relatively short growing season (July to October). This is because of the huge amount of energy needed to heat UK greenhouses. [1] Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

15. 7 It’s OK to throw food waste into landfill because it will biodegrade. Myth Q Fact

16. This is a Myth! Kitchen rubbish like leftover food can produce methane as it degrades. This is a highly potent greenhouse gas produced when food waste isn’t exposed to oxygen as it breaks down. According to WRAP[1], 6.7 million tonnes of household food waste is produced each year in the UK, most of which could have been eaten. Many local councils have introduced schemes to collect food waste which is then composted. [1] Waste and Resources Action Programme

17. Increasing air passenger duty makes flying a more environmentally friendly travelling option. 8 Myth Q Fact

18. This is a Myth! According to the Treasury, revenues from air passenger duty, like other taxes, aren't directly reserved for particular projects. So there’s no guarantee passengers’ money will go directly towards helping the environment.

19. There’s no point sorting rubbish for recycling as it all gets shipped abroad to be dumped anyway. 9 Myth Q Fact

20. This is a Myth! While a proportion of sorted rubbish is shipped abroad, it doesn't necessarily go into landfill. China is the main recipient. In 1997 it imported around 12,000 tonnes of plastic, paper and metal rubbish from the UK; by 2005 this was almost 1.9m tonnes, which is then recycled.

21. Washing powders are responsible for killing wildlife living in UK lakes and rivers. 10 Myth Q Fact

22. This is a Fact! Some washing powders contain phosphates, which can harm the environment and cause large quantities of algae to grow in lakes and rivers, killing fish and other life forms.

23. How did you do? 0-3Like a lot of consumers, you fell for some of the common myths. Try to investigate the issues if you are unsure. 4-7OK, you busted some myths but you’ll need to stay on your guard. 8-10Well done! Keep up the good work and encourage others not to fall for myths that aren't environmentally friendly.

24. Thanks for Playing! www.consumercouncil.org.uk