It’s time to get smart with your waste management and make recycling second nature! Recycling your household waste is not only good for the environment but it can also save you money.
We all know the importance of reduce, reuse, recycle, but now more than ever, having a sustainable mindset is important for our homes. The EU has set a target for countries to recycle 55% of their waste by 20251, so what can we do to help achieve this? Here’s seven tips to get started on making your household waste disposal more sustainable:
1. Recycle
This is an essential step in reducing your household waste. Glass, paper, plastic and metal are all recyclable materials and most of them can be placed in the recycling bin. Depending on your levels of waste, maybe consider making a trip to your local recycling centre more regularly - glass and metal can easily be transported.
2. Compost
An excellent waste management solution, most kitchen scraps make terrific compost material. The green waste produced from composting at home is great for gardeners and organic farmers; if you don’t have use for it currently, why not consider starting your own herb garden?
3. Filtering
We’re all guilty of valuing convenience and pick up so many disposable water bottles on the go, but by filtering your water - you’ll cut down on using plastic bottles. Install a water-treatment system, or use water jugs with replaceable, recyclable filters.
4. Repurpose
It's great to downsize, but is your excess really rubbish? Try to give your belongings a new lease of life by donating unwanted clothes to clothing banks. If you’re moving to a new house and doing a clear out of your belongings, why not allow others to benefit by giving them to charity. Your trash may be someone else's treasure.
5. Cut down on packaging
Purchasing loose fruit and vegetables goes a long way to reduce food waste. Buy what you need and avoid large packs of food that your family won’t get through. You can even go one step further and look for the ugly fruit and vegetables and imperfect produce on the shelves - these are often overlooked by other customers when there’s no reason not to pick them up. When shopping at your local butcher or fishmonger, bring your own containers from home!
6. Batteries
Rechargeable battery technology has hugely improved. Use them, and you'll cut out more unnecessary packaging. Under EU law, all retail outlets that sell batteries are now obliged to take back old batteries of similar type, so you don’t have to worry about correctly disposing of them.
7. Door drops
A friendly ‘no junk mail’ note on your door or letterbox will cut down on the number of unwanted flyers/freesheets you have to recycle.
Why not try some of our tips and see the impact they have on both your rubbish and your pocket?
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