Want to improve your recycling habits? The average person in the UK throws away approximately 400kg of waste each year, which acquaints to 7 times their body weight! So there is plenty of room for improvement.
Our Top Tips to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
- Know What Can and Cannot Be Recycled
Firstly, it’s important to understand what can and cannot be recycled in your local area. Councils have different rules and regulations, so make sure you’re not doing more harm than good by recycling the wrong thing. Check your local authority website and your nearest recycling points.
- Reuse Plastic Bags
Reusing plastic bags instead of throwing them away is an easy way to improve your recycling habits. Keep a couple in your car and bag so that you are never without. You’ll also be saving money as most retailers in the UK now charge for using their plastic bags.
- Buy a Reusable Coffee Cup
The UK throws away 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups every year with half a million being littered every day. To add to that only 1% of coffee cups are even recycled! By investing in a reusable coffee cup you will be helping to cut these figures dramatically, especially if you are a daily coffee drinker. Most coffee shops and chains also offer you a small discount for bringing a reusable cup – you have nothing to lose.
- Make Your Recycling Bin Accessible
A simple tip to improve your household’s recycling is simply to make your recycling bin more accessible. If your recycling bin is outside many of us won’t be bothered to make the small journey. By placing a recycling bin next to your usual kitchen and bathroom bins will make the choice to recycle a lot easier.
- Choose Plastic-Free Packaged Foods
Make a conscious effort to look at the amount of packaging a food item has when you purchase it. Are you able to buy loose fruit and vegetables instead of packaged ones? Being more aware of the amount of plastic you’re consuming from packaging and making this influence your food choices is a great way to reduce your waste.
- Buy Recycled Goods
There are hundreds of items available that are made out of recycled paper and plastics. Using old paper to make new paper uses 30-50% less energy than making paper from trees. Switching to buying recycled goods such as recycled toilet paper, kitchen towels and pencils is a great way to improve your recycling habits.
- Donate Your Clothes to Charity
Donating your unwanted clothes to a charity shop not only raises money for a worthy cause, but it also stops more items going into landfill.
- Invest in Reusable Cutlery & Straws
With our busy lifestyles, there is no surprise that the on-the-go food and drinks markets are excelling. However, this also means that the use of disposable cutlery and straws are also increasing. Despite many establishments providing recyclable versions, why not reduce your consumption entirely by investing in a reusable cutlery set and straw. Keep them in your bag or office drawer to never be without.
- Go Paperless with Your Bills
Many banks, mobile and energy providers now offer the option for you to go paperless with your bills, contracts and other communications. You will be emailed or able to access your documents online instead. To produce 1 tonne of paper causes the emission of more than 1.5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. To go paperless, you will be reducing your paper consumption and saving trees, water and cutting pollution.
- Reuse Wrapping Paper and Greeting Cards
A great way to recycle is to reuse old wrapping paper and greeting cards. Old wrapper paper can be ironed out with a tea-towel underneath and reused to gift to someone else. The backs of greeting cards can also be cut off and used to make unique gift tags – get creative!
- Improve Your Office Recycling
Does your office have a sustainable recycling system? Improving your recycling habits doesn’t confine to your home. The average office worker uses 50 sheets of paper a day in unnecessary printing. If you think your office’s procedure could be improved, speak up!
- Start Composting
The UK throws away 6.6 tonnes of household food waste every year. Instead of adding to this figure, why not start your own home composting system. As well as reducing your food waste you will also be recycling it into usable garden compost.
- Reuse Items for Arts & Crafts
Old washing up liquid bottles, toilet rolls or cardboard boxes? Get creative with the kids and recycle these items into a new art project. Pinterest has a lot of great ideas for reusing your recycling or other non-biodegradable items that would otherwise end up in landfill.
- Reuse Parcel Packaging
Are you an avid online shopper? Keep the envelops, boxes and parcel packaging safe and reuse it for when you next need to send a parcel. This is a great tip to save money on buying parcel packaging but also to improve your recycling habits.
- Get Paid for Recycling Unwanted Items with Zapper
Sell your unwanted books, CDs, DVDs and games with Zapper and get paid for all items that can be resold. With Zapper nothing goes to waste, so all unsold items are sustainably recycled. Declutter, earn money and stop items going into landfill.
