The average UK household produces more than a tonne of waste every year. Only 17% of it is recycled! (https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/851038/recycling-waste-container-rubbish-tips-Rachelle-Strauss) We all contribute to this with everyone being (even a little) guilty. Even doing a little recycling can make a huge positive impact to the planet. A single plastic bottle saves enough energy to run a 100-watt bulb for 4 hours! (https://www.rubiconglobal.com/blog/statistics-trash-recycling/) Recycling doesn’t have to be a chore.

We have 5 simple recycling tips that will turn you into a revolutionary recycler!

…and save you some cash at the same time!

  1. Can I recycle aerosols? What about my toilet tubes? And last year’s Christmas Tree Lights?
    Yes, yes, and yes! Recycle now (https://www.recyclenow.com/local-recycling) is a website that will answer all of your Recycling questions. It has an endless list of household products with information on how and where you can recycle them. You can enter your post code and it will give you information on your nearest recycling locations. It’s that simple! Bookmark this website and use it as your ‘Recycle Bible’. It will help anyone in a recycle crisis become a recycling hero!
  2. Smart Shopping
    Don’t you hate it when you get back from a grocery shop to find you’ve doubled up on certain products? An enormous contributor to household waste is buying food at the supermarket that you already have at home. The simple solution to this is to make a shopping list. It’s a great way to keep organized and stop over buying.  If there’s a certain product you keep buying and throwing away because it keeps going off; stop buying it! Clearly, it’s not an essential product in your household. Putting all of this into action will reduce your house hold waste as well as saving your wallet. Win-win!
  3. Best Before is just a Guideline
    ‘Best Before’ and ‘Use By’ are two completely different things. Throwing products out after they’ve hit their ‘Best Before’ date is another huge contributor to household waste. ‘Best Before’ is a guide on quality, not safety. Products texture, smell or aroma may change after this date but it is safe to eat. If you see a ‘Use By’ date, take this as gospel and do as it says!
  4. Plastic Bags; The Good, the Spare and the None Existent.
    In 2015 when the government introduced the 5p charge of plastic bags, some of the public weren’t pleased. But did you know since the charge of plastic bags sales have fallen by 90%? (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plastic-bag-sales-down-90-since-introduction-of-5p-charge) What an incredible transformation! Plastic bags have a huge, negative impact on the environment (https://sciencing.com/why-are-plastic-bags-so-bad-for-the-environment-5005999.html). You should always have a spare stuffed in your handbag. Not only does it help the planet but it will save you spending on another one. Remember look after the pennies, the pounds take care of themselves. Have you ever thought about the Fruit and Vegetable bags? Once you’ve used them to cart your onions home, how often do you reuse or recycle them? At the moment there are 1.3 billion of these plastic bags being thrown away each year after one single use. (https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/households-using-billions-of-throwaway-bread-fruit-and-veg-bags-a-year-that-arent-recycled-505624) Why not save these after using them for a future shopping trip? Or think, do you really need to use them?
  5. Get a recycle bin that’s easily accessible for the whole house hold
    Having a spare bin in the kitchen will form an easy recycling routine. Not all recycling products can be thrown in together. Having a spare bin in your kitchen for glass, paper or aluminium will help kick start your recycling routine. Keep an eye to see how much you end up putting in your recycling bin. You’ll be shocked to see how much you’ve previously been wasting and how great it feels to recycle!

There are our 5 simple steps to get you on the road to a recycling hero. Join the recycling revolution; not only is it good for the planet, it makes you feel great too!