Climate change activists say we’re at a real crisis point when it comes to our impact on the earth, with UN experts warning that we have less than 12 years to limit the effects of global warming.

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The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change who gave the 12 year warning

We can already see the effects of this, as the UK has just had the hottest Easter Monday since records began, where temperatures reached 25 degrees Celsius.

The public are becoming more and more concerned about this, resulting in demonstrations like the Extinction Rebellion protests, where campaigners intend to bring big cities like London to a standstill to give a voice to their cause.

We have always been, are and will always be non-violent in London and the rest of the world. We act in peace, with ferocious love of life in our hearts. We act on behalf of life. We #RebelForLife against government inaction on the #SixthMassExtinction.pic.twitter.com/GScx28ZBCk

— Extinction Rebellion (@ExtinctionR) April 19, 2019

This may be bringing attention to the issue, but has come at the cost of over 1000 protestor arrests and a large amount of backlash from people trying to move around the city, possibly discouraging more potential supporters from coming onboard.

The government have also been taking note of the issues, with central London introducing an Ultra Low Emission Zone earlier in April to incentivise cleaner vehicles travelling through the capital.

London’s new Ultra Low Emission Zone. Image credit: Joe Carden

But there are additional issues when it comes to the way we treat the planet, starting with our very own homes and businesses and the way we deal with waste.

According to last year’s figures, on average UK households recycle 43% of their waste but in Lewisham the figure is much lower.

It’s the third worst borough in London in this regard, with only 17% of household waste being recycled, but why is this?

We spoke to Lewisham’s residents and business owners to find out how clued up they are about rubbish disposal, as well as taking a look at an innovative solution that might help us solve our trash based dilemmas.