THE DANGERS OF THE WEE MAN

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A. The WEE man is seven metres high and he weighs more than three tonnes. He has been made from everyday items, such as mobile phones, CD players and washing machines. But the WEE man is not just an amazing work of art. He was built to remind us of the problem of electrical waste. “WEE” stands for “Waste, Electrical and Electronic Equipment”, and the WEE man is made of the amount of electrical rubbish the average person throws away during a lifetime.

B. Three tonnes of waste may seem incredible at first, but think about it. It is estimated that the average household owns 25 electrical appliances, from televisions to toasters. These appliances are usually replaced every two or five years. Sometimes we replace them because they have stopped working, but often we simply want a more up-to-date or fashionable model. Mobile phones can last for many years, but most people buy a new one every eighteen months. Over half of the electrical items in rubbish dumps were thrown away while they were still working!.

C. It seems that our appetite for new technology is insatiable, but the environment is paying a huge price for our waste. In the UK, more than six million electrical items are thrown away every year, and we are running out of dumps !! To get down this problem, many Western countries are exporting their electrical rubbish. It is often sent to poorer, developing countries, which are less well-equipped to process this dangerous waste safely. When electrical equipment is buried in rubbish piles or underground, it emits harmful toxins. Without proper treatment, these toxins pollute the landscape, and their effects can be devastating. They can poison plants and wildlife, and cause serious health problems for people who come into contact with them. Longer term, the build-up of pollution may also contribute to global warming and climate change.

D. So, what can we do about this problem? The answer is simple. Don’t be a selfish shopper: reduce, reuse and recycle! Before you purchase anything, think twice about the item you want to buy. Do you really need it? If the answer is “no” then consider saving your money! Try to recycle as much as you can. Second-hand shops, jumble sales, and websites like freecycle.org are all effective ways of finding new homes for old items.

E. If we really care about preserving the world we live in for the generations of tomorrow, it is vital that we change our shopping habits. In twenty years’ time, will the WEE man have grown into an environmental nightmare – or will we have shrunk? The outcome is in our hands.