Tips for reducing

Reducing waste is the first step

When thinking about managing waste, the starting point is to reduce how much you generate in the first place, then to reuse what you can and after that to recycle it.

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How can I cut down on my household waste?

There are three simple things we can all do to cut down on our household rubbish

Shop Smart

A lot of the waste generated in households is brought home in our shopping bags and can easily be reduced. For example:

  • Switch from single-use products to ones that can be used multiple times such as metal straws and reusable coffee cups and water bottles.
  • Plan ahead: for example, carry a tote bag with you so you always have something to put your shopping in, and make your own packed lunches – not only will you be helping the environment but you’ll also save yourself some money. And if you’re out and about, Refill will show you pleasant locations to eat your packed lunch as well as places where you can refill your water bottle.
  • If you are having a party, use real crockery and cutlery rather than plastic knives and forks or paper/plastic plates.
  • Try to buy products that have less packaging, or that are packaged in a material – for example paper – that is easier to recycle. If you use a local market or greengrocer to buy your fruit and veg or a high street baker or butcher for your bread and meat, you will quickly reduce the amount of plastics and packaging coming into your home.
  • Buy items that have a long shelf life and don’t need replacing so often – such as rechargeable batteries or long-life lightbulbs. LED bulbs last much longer than traditional – incandescent – ones and also use a lot less energy.
  • Consider using real nappies as disposable ones create a lot of waste. Find out more on the Go Real - The Real Nappy Information Service website, The Nappy Lady website or the Twinkle Twinkle website

Stop junk mail

In an era of texts, emails and social media, most of the material that comes through our letter boxes is either bills, junk mail or advertising leaflets. So:

  • If you are comfortable with the technology, switch your banking and utilities accounts to a paper-free service. It will cut down on the paper that needs recycling, lessen the amount of paperwork cluttering up your house and reduce the amount of confidential documents that need to be shredded to protect your personal details.
  • If you want to stop junk mail, you can be removed from up to 95 percent of direct mailing lists by registering on this link for MPS (Mail Preference Service) Online website.

Reduce food waste

According to the charity Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), UK households throw away around 6.6m tonnes of food every year. Not only is this a huge amount of waste to be disposed of but it also represents a lot of money going in the bin.

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Some simple steps can help reduce this wastage:

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  • Plan your meals and make a shopping list – by knowing what you need when you go to the shops, you are less likely to buy extra items which you may later throw away.
  • Check the use-by dates of fresh food when you buy it. These are the dates to take notice of, rather than the best-before dates. Only buy what you can use before it expires. Find out more about food date labels on the Food Standards Agency website.
  • Keep track of what you've bought and used. WRAP suggests taking a 'shelfie' – a photo of your fridge and cupboards to remind you of what's there.
  • Store food correctly – make sure you put fresh food in fridges and freezers if you are not going to use them straightaway.
  • Check your fridge temperature. It should be between 0-5°C. Some foods, especially dairy products, will go off much quicker if it’s warmer.
  • Use up leftovers – visit the Love Food Hate Waste website for leftover food recipes.
Did you know by cutting food waste the average UK household can save £500 each year?