EACH household in the North East produces a tonne of waste every year, yet we recycle less of our rubbish than any other region in the UK.
Figures released in March showed that last year people in the North East were on average recycling just 11.9 per cent of their household waste.
In Durham city, household recycling collections have been among some of the best in the region but Sunderland was last year propping up the bottom of the regional recycling league.
About half of the Sunderland's households are now recycling their glass, paper and cans and rates have jumped from two per cent at the end of 2002/03 as Sunderland's fortnightly Kerb-It collections were rolled out and collections should hit ten per cent this year.
The figures, however, are dwarfed by the achievements of our European Union counterparts.
Georgina Bloomfield, recycling campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: "Despite the fact that recycling in England is at record levels, we still manage to recycle less than most of our EU neighbours.
"The Government should do more to address prevention and set more ambitious recycling targets. Aiming to recycle half of our waste is an achievable target and would give us a recycling record to be proud of."
Friends of the Earth has called on the Government to set itself a target to recycle half of all domestic waste in the next five years and 75 per cent by 2015. A world away from the Government's benchmark of 30 per cent by 2010 and 33 per cent by 2015.
Household recycling is in the front-line for helping save the Earth's scarce resources but what exactly is the waste that we produce doing to the world we live in?
The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in March drew on research from 95 countries and discovered that we have changed our world beyond recognition in a dramatically short space of time.
In essence, the environment is struggling to keep up with the demands we have placed on it.
The study shows needs of a growing world population after the Second World War created an unsustainable rush for the world's natural resources like fresh water, timber and fuel.
And, although we have made considerable gains in the process – economies and food production have continued to grow – the way these successes have been achieved puts global prosperity at great risk.
It is said that by the time a baby born today is 80 years old, the world will be 6.5 degrees warmer than it is now.
If the Earth gets hotter sea levels will rise, cities on coasts would flood, places that usually get lots of rain and snowfall might get hotter and drier, lakes and rivers could dry up and there would be more droughts, making it hard to grow crops.
In addition, less water would be available for drinking, showers and swimming pools. Some plants and animals might become extinct because of the heat and hurricanes, tornadoes and other storms which are caused by changes in heat and water evaporation may get more common.
In response to global warming, the Government has a sustainable development plan, which came into force in March.
It includes new measures on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, encouraging the growth and use of biofuels, increased Vehicle Excise Duty for vehicles in the two most polluting bands and a strong commitment to extend the EU Emissions Trading scheme to cover aviation.
Friends of the Earth's director Tony Juniper said: "Although this sustainability strategy has some important new policies, it is quite another matter whether it will make a serious contribution towards saving the world.
"In the end, the Government will be judged on its actions. Recent years have seen a raft of lost opportunities and contradictory decisions.
"For example, policies on aviation, pollution permits for industry and failure to reduce UK carbon dioxide levels, do not inspire confidence. If it is to work, this strategy must be championed across the whole of government so that all official policies and decisions contribute to the larger long term goals."


Green issues: the record under Labour

* UK emissions of carbon dioxide – the main greenhouse gas causing climate change – are higher now than they were in 1997, when Labour first came to power.
* A previously "unconditional" 1997 manifesto promise to "lead the fight against global warming through our target of a 20 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2010", has subsequently been weakened to "moving towards" such a reduction.n A 1997 pledge to reduce road traffic levels within five years has not been met. n The North East recycled the least waste in the UK in 2004 at 11.9 per cent.
* Currently just 17 per cent of UK household waste is recycled. However, in other countries in Europe, such as in Austria, the Netherlands and Germany they recycle around half of their waste.
* Figures for 2004 show that the UK has failed to meet its business targets for recycling packaging waste because too many cans and aluminium foil trays are finding their way to landfill sites like the BIFFA plant in Houghton.
* In 2004 the Government missed its targets for reducing climate change laid out by the Kyoto Protocol.
Mike Childs, head of campaigns at Friends of the Earth, said:"These further increases in carbon dioxide emissions are shocking. Climate change is happening and has the potential to cause untold human suffering and catastrophic environmental damage. The Government clearly has no control over our emissions and cannot claim to be effectively tackling climate change."


Voter's view: the farmer
Allan Coxon, farmer at Offerton Village, Sunderland

ALLAN Coxon farms in Offerton Village. He grows biocrops which are used to produce eco-friendly biodiesel, but he has never been offered any Government support to do so.
"I would give this Government nought out of 10 as far as its environmental policy is concerned," says Mr Coxon.
"I grow crops for biofuels sold by Tescos but without government subsidies I can't compete with the likes of France and Germany.
"They get so much support their Governments have had to restrict the amount they grow."
Biofuels are plants grown to burn, and unlike fossil fuels like coal and oil they are what is known as carbon neutral.
First, they take in carbon dioxide from the air as they grow, so even when they give it off as they burn, they are not adding to the total amount of this gas in the atmosphere.
And second, they are renewable, giving us a fresh supply of fuel each year, allowing us to conserve the limited supply of fossil fuels available.
Perhaps the major disadvantage of biofuels is that they take up valuable farmland.
Unfortunately, the more biocrops we grow the less land we have available for growing food but farmers on Wearside insist they are happy to grow these crops if the Government is willing to support them.
"I am already growing crops for biofuels. It is no more difficult or expensive than growing normal crops so I don't know why this Government will not provide subsidies to help UK biocrops compete against those from the rest of Europe," says Mr Coxon.
"I would ask the next Government to sit up and take notice of UK farmers before it is too late. I want them to create a proper agricultural policy to support regional food suppliers and to work harder to improve animal health.
"If the next Government carries on ignoring the problems farmers are having with TB for example, farmers will lose £2billion by 2013."
Mr Coxon added: "I don't know who I am going to vote for. They are all the same. None of the parties has gone far enough with their agricultural or environmental policies."


Voter's view: the inventor
Steph Chamberlain, Cleadon inventor

STEPH Chamberlain from Cleadon village is so keen to encourage Wearsiders to recycle, that she has invented a trolley to help recyclers transport heavy recycling boxes to collection points.
"A lot of people have difficulty bending and lifting so I have invented a trolley which allows them to transport their recycling box without having to do either," says Steph.
"I think the recycling facilities in Sunderland are okay; the Government just needs to encourage more people to make use of them.
"The reason that the North East has done so dismally in comparison to the rest of the country is more due to lack of knowledge than lack of facilities.
"Children need to be taught at school how important it is to recycle and what damage we have done to the world by producing so much waste."
Steph added: "I have travelled all over the country promoting my trolley and the best scheme I have seen is where the council puts microchips in each home's recycling box to monitor how much recycling each household is doing.
"The homes that recycle the most are then given rewards like a reduction on their council tax. It is an excellent idea which I hope the Government replicates all over the country."
A spokesman from Sunderland Council said: "There is no national pilot as yet. The recent announcement by Defra was an invitation to local authorities to apply to participate in pilot schemes that would look at the best ways to encourage people to recycle.
"One of these could include fitting microchips to recycling bins and boxes that would help record how much rubbish each household was recycling. Those recycling the most could then be given a discount on their council tax. The benefits of prize draws that we have already used would also be looked at.
"We are looking at the detail with a view to making an application in due course."


Voter's view: the green campaigner
Stephen Tindale, Greenpeace executive director

THIS Government has failed miserably as far as climate change is concerned, says a spokesman for environmental pressure group Greenpeace.
"They haven't gone nearly far enough to deal with carbon dioxide emissions or renewable energy projects and this must change.
"The only way that we can stop the worst effects of climate change is by using less energy and by making sure that the energy that we do need comes from clean, renewable sources.
"Renewable energy has the potential to meet our energy needs many times over. At present, we get less than one percent of our electricity from the wind, ocean and sun.
Commenting on Labour's 2005 manifesto commitment to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions by 20 percent on 1990 levels by 2010, Greenpeace executive director Stephen Tindale said: "We're pleased this manifesto commitment hasn't been abandoned, but Blair is in serious danger of breaking it.
"There are no commitments to policies that might actually meet the target. Britain's carbon-dioxide emissions have gone up since 1997. Blair has called climate change the gravest environmental threat we face, but he is yet to prove he's serious about fighting it."
Mr Tindale added: "Drastic action is needed immediately if Blair is to live up to his rhetoric. Instead of re-stating previous targets and claiming he'll continue to take an international lead on the issue, we wanted to see commitments to specific, radical action."


Party politics
Where the parties stand on today's issue

LABOUR: 'The introduction of recycling boxes has been successful'
Sharon Hodgson is Labour's parliamentary candidate for Gateshead East and Washington West.
She said: "Living in a healthy environment improves the quality of life of everyone in Britain. That is why Labour is committed to sustainable development: balancing economic growth, social justice and environmental protection is vital for the next century.
"The UK has led the world in setting tough targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and they have been reduced by five per cent since 1997. Britain is on target to meet the Kyoto protocol targets for reducing greenhouse gases. Recycling has increased to 17 per cent of household waste last year – a three per cent increase on the previous year.
"In addition to other schemes, the introduction of recycling boxes in Sunderland has been very successful, enabling residents to become environmentally friendly without leaving their homes. Labour aims to increase this to 25 per cent by 2006 and 35 per cent by 2015.
"The benefits of good environmental policy can be seen every day – 10 years ago only 92 of Britain's beaches were awarded as clean – that figure is now 332 and includes local beaches and 95 per cent of rivers now meet quality standards.
"Voting Tory would mean £47million of cuts to the Environment Agency and £15 million from English Nature. Friends of the Earth call Tory attacks on the environment "madness". I agree."

CONSERVATIVES: 'We'll reduce tax to encourage greener cars'
Robert Oliver, a Conservative opposition councillor on Sunderland city council, is the party's candidate in Sunderland South.
He said: "In the long term, climate change is possibly the most important issue that faces the planet and Conservatives take our stewardship of the environment seriously.
"We need an accommodation between the needs of industry and the consumer on one hand and the threat to the sustain ability of the environment on the other.
"Conservatives favour reducing tax to encourage greener cars whilst introducing an emissions charge related to the pollution caused by aeroplanes in order to send out a clear green signal to the airline industry.
"We also need to find renewable forms of energy thus reducing our dependence on the soon to be exhausted oil and the countries that produce it. Instead of unreliable wind farms, Conservatives are promoting the use of an underused technology: combined heat and power which could greatly expand the household energy efficiency.
"But concern about the environment can be as much local as global hence the Conservatives' proposals to deal more vigorously with fly-tippers: a real blight on many estates."

LIBERAL-DEMOCRATS: 'We'll have a long-term zero waste policy'
Gareth Kane is the Liberal Democrat candidate in Sunderland South.
He said: "I am very proud that the Liberal Democrats are the "greenest" of the major parties by some distance – as confirmed by Friends of the Earth at the last election.
"The Lib Dems will address power generation, promote green transport, instigate a long-term zero waste policy and green all school buildings to teach pupils about environmental issues.
"Tony Blair may say he's leading on climate change, but it's the usual Labour smoke and mirrors as, at the very same time, he's negotiating a relaxation in the UK's greenhouses gas targets as he hasn't taken action to meet them.
"Neither the Tories nor Labour really understand environmental issues, and probably never will. If you want a green government, you should vote Lib Dem."