Waste - what you can do

You can reduce the waste you produce by using less, reusing more and recycling what you can. This will reduce the need for landfills and help save energy and our natural resources such as trees, oil and elements e.g. aluminium.

Reduce, reuse, recycle

• Be conscious that buying products generates waste so buy only what you need.
• Buy reusable products where there’s a choice such as rechargeable batteries.
• Take unwanted, reusable items to a charitable shop such as clothes and toys or return items to businesses/shops e.g., return wire coat hangers to dry cleaners.
• Buy loose produce (fruit and vegetables) whenever possible and avoid over-packaged convenience foods.
• Choose products in reusable or recyclable containers - look for the recycle mark on products (three arrows that make a circle).
• Buy products that contain recycled materials whenever possible.
• Recycle everything you can such as cans, glass, paper and cardboard, plastic, and clothes via home recycling schemes or local bring banks and send less waste to the landfill.
• Use local authority ‘drop-off’ facilities for waste oil, batteries or bigger items such as computers.
• Return old electrical goods to retailers when buying new electrical goods as defined under the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations.
• Consider changing some of your lawn area to a low maintenance garden to minimise grass clippings and save you time.
• Start a compost or worm bin for kitchen waste and garden clippings. As well as reducing the amount of waste going to landfill, you will have your own compost for your garden.