Household Waste Recycling

There really isn't any excuse not to recycle. It's easier than ever, and almost the entire contents of your waste bin can have a second, or even third, life.

I know people who still throw almost all their rubbish away, and I always flinch when I see it. Is it so hard to simply separate waste materials and put the good stuff into different containers?

You wouldn't store fresh and frozen food together, keep the toys in with the cutlery or wash lights and darks together, would you?

Or at least, I hope not. So you are already familiar with the principle of sorting. And recycling works in very much the same way: you sort your waste into three or four different categories, and then pass it to be used again.

It really couldn't be simpler. Local authorities across the world are falling over themselves to encourage us to recycle with kerbside collections, recycling centres here, there and everywhere, and civic amenity sites where you can send everything from aerosols to zinc to be reused. In many countries, individual households recycle at least 60% of their waste and there's no reason why everyone can't aim for this, or even more.

The great thing about recycling is that the effects are immediate. Just think. Your old CDs could be made into designer clocks, coasters or even calendars. Unwanted mobile phones can be reconditioned and donated to charity. Drinks cans can be recycled and the money raised used to plant more trees. Plastic bottles can be converted into fleeces and garden furniture. What could be better than knowing that your unwanted junk can genuinely be put to good use? And it declutters at the same time! Even the smallest change in the way we approach the disposal of our waste would make a big difference if universally adopted.

Recycling helps in many ways: we send less rubbish to landfill or incineration, and we save valuable materials and energy. For example, recycling aluminium cans saves 95% of the energy used in making a new can. The other great thing is that recycling doesn't cost you a penny, and as you become more aware of the amount of waste you generate, you may even become a more efficient householder along the way.

THE THREE RS - REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

We would all benefit from:

reducing the amount of rubbish we create;
reusing stuff we normally throw away; and
recycling more.

Reduce

If you opt to buy only the right quantity of what you need, you're not being mean - just eco-savvy.

Choose products with less packaging, and buy second-hand where you can.
Buy more fresh produce or grow your own. This uses less packaging and it's healthy too!
Reduce paper and ink wastage by printing out only what you need, condensing text, reducing print quality and using both sides of paper.
Store food in resealable containers instead of cling film or kitchen foil.
Use rechargeable batteries: although pricier, they will reduce waste and save you money in the long run.
Register with the Mailing Preference Service to stop getting junk mail.

Reuse

Cut down on the amount of rubbish you generate by reusing materials.

Repair broken appliances and shoes or donate them to charity to delay the point where they become waste.
Reuse carrier bags (or better still, buy a durable shopping bag).
Keep scrap paper for telephone messages/lists, etc.
Try to buy products such as milk or cosmetics that come in refillable packaging. Some specialist retailers such as The Body Shop offer this refill service, as do some delivery services.
Keep worn-out clothing, towels or bed linen to use as household cleaning cloths.
Spruce up old furniture rather than throwing it out.
Choose reusable products over disposable: sponges rather than wipes, tea towels rather than kitchen roll. Opt for cloth nappies, but wash them with an eco-product at a lowish temperature and hang them out rather than tumble dry them.

Recycle

Find out about your neighbourhood's facilities and get going. Recyclable items include: aerosols, batteries, drinks cartons, cans, paper and cardboard, plastic carrier bags/bottles CDs, ink cartridges, computers, some furniture, metal, glass, electrical goods, paint, clothes, textiles, shoes and food packaging.

Other things like toys, household items, bikes, books, bricks and rubble can be sold or given to charity.

Keep separate bins in your house so that you can separate recyclable waste as soon as it's ready.
Start a compost heap. It's simple, cheap and will provide you with free natural fertiliser.
Buy products made from recycled materials whenever possible.
Find out which labels on packaging mean it can be recycled.


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