Reduce your waste

Reduce Your Waste

This planet has limited natural resources, which we currently using at an unsustainable rate. If everyone lived and consumed as those in the UK do, we would need 2.8 Earths to sustain ourselves.

This consumption impacts nature, air quality, climate change, water, and many other parts of our natural world. As part of our Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy, we aim to move towards a Circular Economy - keeping resources in use for longer, and reducing what we waste.

Tips to reduce your waste

• Try to avoid purchasing products which have packaging. For example buy loose fruit and vegetables, or visit butchers/bakers/markets/refill shops where you can take your own containers.
• Use shampoo bars, shaving bars, and soap bars instead of single use bottles.
• Make your own cleaning products and refill a spray bottle.
• Use a reusable bag to avoid buying plastic ones when shopping.
• Stop using disposable or single-use items where possible such as napkins, face wipes, razors, straws, plastic cutlery, coffee cups, and bottles among others. All of these can be replaced with reusable items.
• Use boxes with lids to store food, rather than using foil or cling film.
• Visit the Mailing Preference Service to reduce your junk mail.
• Fight Fast Fashion and Love Your Clothes offer advice on helping your clothes last longer, and preventing fast fashion.
• Do you need new tools and gardening equipment which you will only use occasionally? Why not borrow and share these items within your community instead?
• Buy rechargeable batteries
• Take unwanted furniture, that is in good condition, to a furniture reuse scheme. For example 9 Lives Furniture in Rickmansworth.
• Take unwanted clothes and toys to charity shops.
• Take items to the reuse centres, one of which is at Waterdale Recycling Centre in Garston.
• Buy pre-loved items from online marketplaces.
• Need new furniture? Why not buy it second hand and redecorate it yourself? You can save money, have it as you like, and save something from landfill!