Whilst recycling is a really great way of diverting rubbish from landfill, have you thought about not producing so much rubbish in the first place?
In North Ayrshire, we are exceeding Scottish Government targets set for recycling rates, but we are still generating a lot of rubbish.
We can all cut the amount of rubbish we produce and throw away by Reducing, Reusing and Recycling:
- Reduce – firstly, try to reduce the rubbish we make
- Reuse – secondly, try to reuse the rubbish that we do make
- Recycle – thirdly, try to recycle or compost to make our rubbish into some new and useful
- Energy Recovery - heat and energy released, by burning rubbish in a controlled furnace, is captured and used in nearby houses or fed into the national grid
- Landfill - if rubbish can't be processed in any of the above ways, it is likely to end up in landfill.
Waste Saving Tips
Reduce
- buy in bulk, save money and reduce waste - did you know that packaging makes up 30% of the weight, and 50% of waste, by volume?
- check out how to reduce food waste.
- repair goods rather than replacing with new items
- buy concentrated forms of items like washing-up liquid and laundry detergent.
Reuse
Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company offers a free uplift service for quality reusable furniture and white goods. Call freephone 0800 221 8083, or drop off items at any mainland Recycling Centre.
- wash and reuse food and drink containers
- choose returnable, reusable, or refillable products
- join the Real Nappy Incentive Scheme - did you know that disposable nappies can take from 200-500 years to decompose, producing noxious methane gas in the process?
- buy from charity shops and re-use organisations
- take reusable bags and containers when shopping
- use a mug, or water bottle, at work instead of plastic cups from the dispenser at the water cooler
- buy items made from recycled content
- use and reuse as much as you can, for example, fill both sides of every page in a notebook before moving on to the next one
- buy quality clothing that won't wear out and can be handed down to friends and family, or to charity
- donate clothes and bric-a-brac to your favourite high street charity shop.
Recycle
Stop unwanted mail
Over a third of all direct mail is thrown straight in the blue bin, unopened? Follow our 5 steps to stop unwanted mail.