Recycling tips

Dagobert

Reuse the envelopes you receive!

Some envelopes rip no matter carefully you open them but most of them open fine. DL sized envelopes (those are the ones for A4 paper folded in thirds) are easier to open along the short side as the sealing flap seems to be designed to rip.

I keep padded and hard-backed envelopes in a box. Foldable parcels (the type the Post Office sells) can be kept too.

I just score the address out or stick a label on top.

I have not bought an envelope in 8 years!

Dagobert

Register with the Mailing Preference Service to stop junk mail:

Mailing Preference Service
Freepost 22
London W1E 7EZ
England

Think of all the waste that could be avoided!

scootermacc

Here's our recycling stuff (my wife calls me a recycling fascist!):


All card and paper: local Safeway's / Morrisons recycling bins

All glass: local Safeway's Morrisons recycling bins

All green waste: composted for use on allotment

All cooked food: not seen a food digester before, thanks ssherlock this will be next on the list

All useable clothes and household items: local RSPCA charity shop, or ebay !!!

Steel cans: removed from rubbish by magnets by local council for recycling prior to incineration of remaining waste, therefore these do go in the bin

Milk cartons: we now get milk delivered in bottles to avoid generating milk carton waste

Aluminium foil, takeaway trays, milk bottle lids, yoghurt pot lids, etc: local foil recycling at Safeway's / Morrisons

Plastic drink bottles, yoghurt pots, washing and washing up liquid bottles: washed and saved for Tesco's recycling in Macclesfield or Northampton when visiting for work or family visits

Plastic bags, cling film, soft plastic product wrapping: reused if intact bags, or recycled at Safeway's / Morrisons collection bin

Batteries: always use rechargeable batteries.

I believe we have cut our landfill requirement by around 95% by doing these things, and usually generate around 1 carrier bag full of waste per week between 2 of us - most of this is hard plastic packaging (such as the trays that supermarket packaged fruit comes in), and cooked food waste. Our wheelie bin is one of the small sized ones designed for OAPs - we put it out once a fortnight and it is never full.

Big_Nige

Hmm Bristol City Council need to get their act together judging by this lot.

Why not pass on the web address of South Ayrshire Council , https://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk to your council it may give them pointers !!! & save a few trips to Morrisons, Tesco etc.

lustydog

You can put egg shells in the composter - got some good nutrients in apparently. My dad does - got lovely compost.  ;D

Hi Ticklemouse,  Break up the egg shells and put them in an empty 6 Pint milk  container. Top up with cold water from the water butt.Leave for several weeks (under the shed). This will produce a rather smelly but excellent plant feed which you can water don as required P S Don may not be very pleased at this. Please substitute down for Don

lustydog

My local council has a three wheelie bin system.... Blue bin for recycling paper cardboard tins (steel/aluminium) milk containers & other soft plastics etc, green bin for general waste, a brown bin for garden waste (grass etc)& a black box for glass.   The green bin is emptied once a fortnight & the brown & blue (along with the black box) are alternated on the middle week.  It has been a great success & from a personal side I have gone from using 5 bin bags a week to about 2 a fortnight now.  So saves the environment  & save your money.   Badger your local council & maybe they can introduce something similar.... might even get a reduction in council tax  8)

::)
Until Government and local councils insist on maximum recycling by individuals, we shall continue to create problems for the future with land fill sites. Or maybe they are very forward thinking, and are looking to provide jobs for the future. When there are no more jobs available, at least you'll be able to go and dig up a few old tin cans to sell down at the scrapyard

dragonladywendy

Hi everyone, we have been recycling now for about 3 years as I feel that my son will have to do it when he is older so I'm getting him used to it now ;D

Behind our wheelie bin I have 4 plastic containers that I put most of our household waste into - glass bottles, cans, magazines and newspapers in one. All plastic wrapping, packaging, anything polysterine goes in another (goes in NON RECYCLABLE at the tip). All plastic bottles, milk plastic bottles, as long as they are cleaned and all metal lids are removed. Lastly, all cardboard, be it packaging, or from letters, as long as it is flattened they will accept it, also put in christmas cards, birthday cards, wrapping paper, anything that originally was a tree can go into cardboard at recycling tip.

We travel to the recycling tip once a week. Our wheelie bin is only half full once a week, and the only stuff that goes in it is left over food, tissue products, shredded paper (recycling can't take that as it flies all over the place ), and nappies. (I know should have used terries, but to lasy at the time!!)

Hope that helps somebody - get in touch with local tip to see what recycling they do and go for it!!!!!!

Half_Asleep

These are very good I'm told - will get one once I move house shortly:

http://www.greencone.com/

A friend of mine sells them in Sydney - how's that for green?

elona

Ssaver
I think they have a log maker in the innovations catalogue or have you tried Lakeland?

Squidgy

Hmm, our local councils not that good. We get a very small blue box and a pink plastic sack for recycling.

Took all our Christmas cards to daughters nursery today, they use them for cutting and sticking.

I think you can also give plastic carrier bags to nurserys as they use them to put wet clothes etc in.