Reduce Reuse Recycle

The information will help you follow the 3Rs of waste reduction:

  1. Reduce

    The best way to combat waste is not to produce any in the first place. The easiest way to achieve this is by reducing the amount of unnecessary goods we buy. Here are some examples:

    • Try not to buy over packed goods. Instead we can buy loose food rather than pre-packaged. It is often cheaper to buy fruit and vegetables loose from the local shop than it is to buy them pre-packaged from the supermarket.
    • Look for long lasting (and energy efficient) appliances when buying new electrical items e.g. consider using low energy bulbs. This saves money as well as reducing waste. We could also cancel the delivery of unwanted newspapers and magazines.
    • Consider putting up 'No Free Papers Sign' on your front door if you hardly read them
    • Do not take a new plastic bag every time you go shopping. Each person in the UK uses an average of 134 plastic bags each year. Most of these only get used once. The production of the bags cause pollution and the bags do not degrade in landfill. They let off toxins if burnt. They are best avoided if possible
    • Use traditional cleaning products such as bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice and vinegar. You will be surprised by the quality of the results as well as how much money it saves you

  2. Reuse

    The second best way to combat waste is to re-use things many times before disposing of them. By doing this we help to reduce the amount of goods that get produced and then thrown away. Here are some examples

    • Join your local library. Most books only get read once, as do most newspapers. It is cheaper to borrow a book from the library than to buy a new one. The council tax spent on each library book is much smaller than cost of everyone buying books for themselves. In this way many people can benefit from each copy of a book, rather than everyone having their own copy.
    • Consider buying second hand where possible. Our contact pages have information about online resources for getting second hand goods (some for free). The contact page also have information about specialist groups which deal in re-used products such as bikes, furniture and timber.
    • If you need to get rid of something think whether it is useful for anyone else. If so give it to a charity shop, sell it, or donate it to a relevant organisation listed on our contacts pages and in our directory.
    • Try not to buy disposable products. Instead buy something that lasts. E.G by a reusable container for packed lunches and use real nappies rather than disposable ones. See the directory for information
    • Reuse scrap paper for writing notes, etc.
    • Reuse envelopes, stick labels over the address.
    • Buy products in refillable containers e.g. washing powders.

  3. Recycle

    If we can not reuse something then we must try to recycle it. Although all the media attention is on recycling, it is not as efficient as reducing and reusing. It is still vastly preferable to throwing things away or even worse fly tipping. Here are some ways to recycle:

    • Use the black SortIt recycling box for household waste.
    • Find out where your most convenient Recycling Point and/or Centre are and the materials that can be accepted there for recycling.
    • Choose products in packaging which you know can be recycled.
    • Compost your own kitchen waste. Compost bins can be aquired cheaply from the council
    • Buy products that are made from recycled materials. This closes the loop, eliminated the need for new products to be produced and reducing the resulting pollution