What more can I do?
Recycling isn't the only thing we can do! Reducing and reusing our waste is even better.
Reducing the waste that we produce in the first place helps even more.
Don't throw it out, re-use it! Broken the handle off your mug? You've just got a new vase! With a little imagination you can find a new use for many things.
Here are a few tips and hints to help you reduce and reuse:
Love Food Hate Waste...
A third of all the food we buy in Essex ends up in the bin. But most of this needn't have gone to waste if it had been eaten, composted or not bought in the first place. Find out more about reducing Food Waste.
Home Composting ...
Approximately 30% of our household rubbish could be turned into nutritious compost, which will help to make your garden bloom. Garden waste (such as prunings, grass cuttings, twigs and leaves), uncooked kitchen scraps (such as fruit and vegetable peelings, teabags and egg shells) and also small bits of paper and cardboard can be composted using a home compost bin.
To purchase a Compost Converter (220litre) for £14; or Compost Converter (330 litre) for £17, (Special offer on both = buy 2nd one half price) plus maximum £5 delivery to a single address please call 0845 130 6090 or visit www.essex.getcomposting.com/
Please call 0845 600 0323 or visit www.recyclenow.com/compost/ for advice and information on home composting.
There are a number of ways that you can compost cooked and uncooked kitchen waste at home, with or without a garden, by using wormeries or food digesters.
Stamp out junk mail ...
Junk mail isn't something we have to just live with; you can take control of what comes through your letterbox.
Find out how you can stamp out junk mail.
In the bag ...
Take your own reusable bags when you go shopping, and you will end up with fewer carrier bags to throw away. If you are making less rubbish, you won't miss using them as rubbish bags!
In 2008, UK shoppers took 9.9 billion new carrier bags - that’s 400 per household! Click here to find out how you can get a bag habit
Packaging deal ...
One way to reduce rubbish is to buy products with less packaging. Try opting for goods sold in paper bags, rather than plastic trays. Look for loose rather than pre-packed options, and you'll be amazed how much less ends up in your bin. Try your local farmer markets, green grocer or butchers as a good source of loose products. To find out more about packaging and how it is changing visit http://www.recyclenow.com
More is less ...
Buy products in larger sizes and look out for economy packs. You may pay more initially, but they are cheaper in the long run, you'll make fewer trips to the shops, spend less money and energy on transport, and generate less packaging.
Shop Eco!
shopecoguide.co.uk
As well as buying items with less packaging and reusing bags at the supermarket there are lots of ways that you can shop smart. Did you know each person throws away £400 worth of food every year? Buy things with a longer use by date to reduce the amount of food you have to throw away. Buy experience gifts for people or vouchers instead of packaged products that they may not want. Buy local products to reduce the environmental impact and support local businesses, the food will taste fresher as well.
Built to last ...
Disposable items such as lighters, batteries, nappies, cleaning wipes are designed to be used for a limited period of time then disposed of, often without being able to recycle them. Choose to buy items which are built to last such as refillable products, cloth nappies and rechargeable batteries.
Hand me downs!
Most of us get fed up with our wardrobes, but don't throw clothes away unless they're really worn out. Your best friend may look great in something you're tired of, so get swapping and have some fun. Take spare clothes and shoes to your local charity shop - someone is bound to want them, and you'll be helping a good cause too.
Visit www.charityshops.org.uk for more information.
Let's go round again ...
Opt for refills. The refill almost invariably has less packaging, and if that's recyclable, even better!
Cloth Nappies ...
Disposable nappies may seem to make life easier, but they do create huge amounts of rubbish. Switching to cloth nappies for all or part of the time really makes a difference. If you do not want to wash them yourself you can join a nappy laundering service who will do it all for you. Every reusable nappy helps. Using just 1 cloth nappy per day means 365 fewer disposables in landfill in 1 year.
Click here to find out our latest special offers available to residents or call 01245 437318.
Get creative ...
Glass jars can be recycled, but they can also make very attractive holders for tea-lights and candles. Try painting a jar with glass paint and watch the candlelight shine through. Making the transformation can also be a great way to occupy bored children in the school holidays!
Don’t bin it bring it ...
Is your toaster toast? Has your kettle run out of steam? Got any old electricals lying around at home? From kettles to cameras, from battery-operated toys to toasters, from power drills to mobile phones, you can recycle the lot! Click here to find out how.