There are simple things we can all do to help cut down on waste, like not buying more food than we need, buying things with less packaging and reusing household items and furniture. Try some of our tips below. Less waste means less to dispose of, which saves money and resources.
Love Food, Hate Waste!
Every year in the UK we throw away £12.5 billion worth of good food, costing the average family almost £60 a month. Cut down on your food waste by sensible shopping, cooking more carefully and storing items to maximise their shelf life. Find out more on the Love Food Hate Waste website.
Reduce your Waste before you Shop
Think before you buy! This is the easiest way to reduce your waste. Try looking at buying things with less packaging or buying second hand items that may not have any packaging at all! Avoid buy one get one free offers on perishable items that might not get eaten. Look for concentrates as this can save packaging. Finally always ask yourself if you really, really need an item. Visit Recycle Now’s website page about recycling for more ideas on how to reduce your waste.
Love Your Clothes
Did you know that in the UK around 336,000 tonnes of our unwanted clothing gets thrown away every year? The good news is that there are lots of simple ways to keep old clothing in use, and out of the bin. Visit Love your Textiles for lots of hints and tips on what you can do to repair, upcycle or give away unwanted items.
Reduce Junk Mail
Did you know that junk mail makes up around 5% of our rubbish? Receiving junk mail can be annoying and most is thrown away unread – wasting resources and adding to rubbish disposal costs. See Recycle Now’s website page about junk mail for useful tips on how to reduce your junk mail.
Compost at home
Composting is an inexpensive, natural process that transforms your kitchen and garden waste into a valuable and nutrient rich food for your garden. It’s easy to make and use. For useful tips and information on some great value garden compost bins, visit East Sussex County Council’s website and Recycle Now’s guidance on composite on their website.
Device Recycling Scheme
The Council are piloting an exciting new project with a local charity “TechResort” to recycle old devices. Working with Citizens Advice these will be given to residents in Wealden who need but cannot afford a device.
You can hand the devices into the council offices at Hailsham or Wealden Citizens Advice in Hailsham, Uckfield and Crowborough. See Device Recycling Scheme for further information.
Upcycle, donate or sell reusable Household Items and Furniture
The benefits of upcycling are huge, from saving money to reducing the amount of household waste, living more sustainably and giving you an exciting project to take part in. For some great upcycling ideas, you can visit British Heart Foundation’s webpage about upcycling. Alternatively, charity shops are always grateful for donations of unwanted items in good condition. For local furniture recycling schemes visit East Sussex County Council. You could give items away via Freecycle, Freegle or sell your spare stuff at garage sales, car boot sales, on Ebay or local selling websites.
Real nappies
An average baby needs 5,000 nappy changes, costing up to £1,000 in disposable nappies. Real nappies can give you money savings as well as being environmentally friendly. For further information on washable nappies visit our webpage about real nappies.