Reduce waste

It’s an easy way to reduce the amount of waste and do our bit.

While it’s better to switch to reusable packaging in your home, recycling is the next best option and it will prevent excess waste from heading for the landfill. Our recycling pages have all the details needed.

Water bottles and paper coffee cups are huge wastes of material. Buy a durable water bottle and a cute coffee thermos so you can take your beverages wherever you please. You’ll find yourself feeling a lot more hydrated and a lot less wasteful.

One of the simplest ways to decrease the amount of waste you produce is to use reusable bags while shopping. Keep a bunch of bags for life in your car or right by the door so you don’t forget them at home.

Food waste is a huge problem – UK households produce 7m tonnes of food waste every year. However, it’s entirely preventable if we only buy groceries that we know we will eat. Find lots of helpful tips and advice at Love Food Hate Waste.

Storing food properly will extend its life and keep things fresh for as long as possible. Invest in some quality airtight containers not just for cereals, biscuits and rice but also for your lunch so you can reduce single-use plastic bags too.

Every day, a large amount of what you throw into the trash could be composted and returned to the earth. You can find out more about composting and what can be added to your garden compost.

When was the last time you repaired something broken rather than throwing it away to purchase a new one? Can’t remember? Same. But buying a few high-quality items and repairing them when necessary is so much better for the planet than buying loads of cheap, disposable stuff. The next time you find a hole in your sock or a lamp stops working, spend a few minutes to see if it’s fixable, rather than throwing it away. If you can’t fix it, see if you can use the skills of a local repair café.

If your mailbox is overloaded with catalogues and junk mail each day, take a few minutes to cancel subscriptions and stop unsolicited junk mail. It can be as simple as going online or picking up the phone to be removed from a mailing list. It’s a bit of an inconvenience, sure, but your coffee table will be less cluttered and the amount of paper waste you produce will be cut significantly.

At a time when the cost of living is of concern to everyone, parents of babies and young children are now able to benefit from a 15 per cent discount on reusable nappies. Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council are collaborating with a number of online retailers to offer the discount.

Single-use disposable nappies make up around 6% of the average rubbish bin in Hampshire homes. By switching to reusables, residents can reduce how much waste is in their bin.

Also known as washable nappies, cloth nappies or real nappies, reusable nappies have developed significantly in the past decade and are a popular choice for many parents. To qualify for the offer, simply register your postcode via Hampshire County Council’s Smart Living webpage and you will then receive a discount code.

The following six online retailers are supporting the scheme:

• Cheeky Wipes
• Cherrybottoms
• Close Parent
• MerryGoRoundUK
• Pēpi Collection
• The Nappy Lady

If you’re unsure about reusable nappies, why not try them out first courtesy of a nappy library? Both Southampton Real Nappy Network and Eastleigh Nappy Library can loan you a reusable nappy kit to suit your needs.