How Do I Reduce Waste And Recycle More?

With the need to protect the environment becoming ever more urgent, it’s more important than ever to take steps to reduce waste. Too much waste can lead to climate change and air pollution and can directly affect various ecosystems and species. If you’re wondering “How do I reduce waste and recycle more?”, read on.

The Importance of Reducing Waste

Although waste is inevitable, too much of it can have a detrimental effect on the health of the planet. By cutting the amount of waste we produce and recycling as much of it as possible, we can help to cut pollution and safeguard the environment. At some point in time, you may look at skip hire to remove all of your rubbish, however, recycling can be a better option.

By reusing and recycling items rather than sending them straight to landfills, we can reduce greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming. Toxic substances can end up in landfills too, leeching into the ground over time where they create a major environmental hazard. Keep reading to learn the answer to “How do I reduce waste and recycle more?”

3 Ways To Reduce Waste

Think More Carefully About Purchases

If you’re serious about reducing waste in order to protect the environment, it makes sense to think more carefully about your purchases. Quite simply, buying less means there’s less waste to dispose of.

Since food waste is a particular problem in the UK, it’s a good idea to be more cautious when doing your weekly food shop. Only buying what you know you’ll eat can help prevent you from buying more than you need, saving it from ending up in the bin. It’s best to avoid buying heavily-packed goods and, if possible, buy loose alternatives. Other ways to reduce food waste into freezing what you can’t eat and getting creative with leftover food.

We also recommend cancelling your delivery of newspapers or catalogues. These days, almost everything can now be easily viewed easily online. By reducing paper waste, you can help to protect the planet. This is because the environmental impact of paper production can be significant, causing deforestation, extremely high energy and water usage, and air pollution and waste problems. Paper accounts for roughly 26% of total waste at landfills, which is staggering.

Reuse Items

Reusing items can prevent them from ending up in the bin where they may eventually make their way to a landfill. Keep in mind that reusing isn’t the same as recycling. Reusing refers to repurposing products so that they are kept in use for a longer time. This reduces waste and therefore helps to protect the environment. Since a huge amount of energy is needed to create new items, reusing more of them can help to cut energy usage. Not only this but it can create employment opportunities and has a positive social impact too.

Sell or donate items you no longer want or need. Passing them on to others who can make use of them can prevent them from turning into waste. So, before you throw them in the bin, consider if someone else could benefit from them.

Reusing plastic carrier bags is a good idea. Then, when you no longer need them, take them to a supermarket and leave them at a plastic bag collection point to be recycled.

Buy rechargeable items rather than disposable ones. For example, batteries and cameras.

Buy products in refillable containers, including washing powders and dishwasher tablets. In many areas, you’ll find Zero Waste stores which let you refill your containers as required. They don’t only sell cleaning products, with many selling food items like pasta, cereals and sweets.

Recycle More

The UK is recycling more than in the past, with the rate for English households now 43.8%. This figure is slightly more for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Many of us are aware, or at least have an idea, of what can and can’t be recycled. Despite nearly half of all household rubbish being recycled, we could do better. There are always small changes we can make to recycle more effectively. A few great tips include:

Make a note of when your recycling is collected – fortnightly collections are common in many areas.

Find out what can and can’t be recycled in your local area. Although guidance is fairly similar between areas, each will have its own recycling rules. Some will accept materials that others do not. Make sure you’re not wasting your time recycling items that cannot be recycled.

Keep recyclable items clean. Whilst cardboard can be recycled, grease can cause damage to it, rendering it impossible to recycle successfully. This means you should avoid placing foods, liquids and pet waste into your recycling bin since it can contaminate the recyclable materials.

Set up a system to sort your recycling at home, making sure everyone in your household understands and gets involved. Ensure that they know exactly what to do with every piece of recyclable waste.

Compost your kitchen waste. Composting enriches the soil, helping it retain nutrients and water and reducing plant diseases. Contact your local council for details of composting schemes and compost bin sales.

When you’re shopping, look at the symbols on a product’s packaging to see if it can be recycled. If it can’t, consider opting for a product that uses recyclable packaging.

Hire an ethical skip hire company. Skip hire is one of the best ways to dispose of large quantities of waste. However, it’s important to choose a company that prides itself on its eco-friendly waste management processes. Rather than sending their customers’ waste directly to a local landfill, they should aim to recycle as much of it as possible.

Now you know the answer to the question “How do I reduce waste and recycle more?” Reducing waste has never been more important for the environment. Fortunately, there are many ways we can lower our waste production, from reducing the amount we buy to reusing and recycling items whenever possible.