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Tips & Advice on How to Recycle Waste

By: Kelly Fenn - Updated: 16 Oct 2012 | comments*Discuss
 
Recycling Recycle Rubbish Dustbin Bin

According to Waste Watch, every household in the UK is responsible for around a tonne of rubbish each year. A significant quantity of this waste, however, can be recycled. Recycling is one of the greenest ways you can deal with your excess waste.

Here is a step by step guide to recycling in your home, how to get started and how best to keep up your good recycling habits.

Know The Materials That Can Be Recycled

It's not simply glass bottles and tin cans that can be recycled. You'll be surprised at the sheer range of items and materials that you need not throw away and can recycle instead. Here are a few of the more unusual items that are recyclable too:

  • Batteries
  • CDs
  • Spectacles
  • Yellow Pages
  • Engine oil
  • Hearing aids
  • Keys

Put a Recycling System In Place In Your Home

Your home is the first place you need to get organised to become a recycling household. According to Recycle Now, one of the biggest reasons people do not recycle is due to the extra effort and storage space needed to store your recyclables before getting rid of them. Some simple organisation should get you home in order.

Firstly, contact your council for the recycling boxes and bins that they will provide to you free of charge, and clear a section in your kitchen or the garden where you can set up your boxes. Additionally, set up a composting bin in your garden, along with a water butt to store water. Mark up your bins with the material to put into it. And remember to get the whole family involved - recycling needs to be a collective experience.

Check What Local Facilities Are Available

It's important to find out what recycling services are available in your area, in order to make recycling an easy activity to fit into your day-to-day life. Your supermarket often houses recycling facilities on site - why not double up your weekly shopping trip with dropping off your recycling too, for efficient use of your car and petrol.

Your local council will also provide drop-off sites around the borough for various materials, as well as offering a kerbside collection service straight from your doorstep. Ask your council what materials they take for recycling, how often the service is and on what day. They will be able to provide you with a recycling box or bin free of charge.

Improve Your Recycling Habits

Once you have all you need to recycle regularly set up and in place in your home, it's time to get your habits in order too. Make it easier by setting up easy reminders that keep recycling in your mind - make a note in the kitchen, label your recycling bin with each material and limit the number of bins you have around the house. Even small actions such as these will discourage throwing items straight into the bin without giving it some thought first.

More Recycling Tips

Getting the hang of recycling in your home? Here are a few more tips to help make recycling an easy and automatic activity in your household:

  • Set up a composting bin in your garden
  • Save rainwater by using a water butt
  • Invest in a multi-section bin
  • Mark recycling days on the calendar
  • Always rinse out glass bottles and tins before recycling
  • Contact your local Freecycle group

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