Creative Recycling Tips

You may not have thought of the creative recycling tips below. They are great for reducing your carbon footprint, as well as saving you money!

Charity

Recycling shouldn’t only be restricted to plastics, glass and other household waste. Clothes, shoes and even furniture can be used again, instead of making their way to the dump. By donating your old possessions to your local charity store, they will be either be given to those in need, or sold to fund charitable activities. This is a great way to recycle whilst improving the lives of those less fortunate.

Mail

Unfortunately, sending and receiving mail creates large amounts of waste; instead of buying new envelopes, reuse envelopes from letters you’ve received. Cover the address with a label or alternatively, make sure they go in the recycling bin! Many services that send bills or statements to your home will offer an online alternative; take them up on their offer to save even more paper.

Technology

Although your old computer may seem like junk to you, there are places that could still use it! Schools and other institutions may not have the budget for the most up to date computers; donations from people who are finished with theirs can be invaluable. Your computer will make its way in to helping a child with their education, instead of sitting in a landfill site! The same applies to any old DVD players or other hi-fi equipment.

Packaging

If you can, purchase products that use less packaging. Many consumables are now available in more eco-friendly containers. Instead of buying a glass jar of coffee every fortnight, refill your existing jar with a top-up bag. Instead of buying packs of fruit of vegetables from the supermarket, buy fresh veg from your local farmers market (as well as reducing the amount of packaging you take home, you’ll also be supporting the local economy and buying the freshest vegetables available).

Reclaim

If you are furnishing a room from scratch, try visiting your local reclamation yard! There are numerous fittings and pieces of furniture that would be great in your home. They are often antiques and full of character, whilst being put to better use than if they were thrown away as junk. By using reclaimed pieces, you will be creating a home with a unique style (much better than generic flat pack furniture), whilst also doing your part for the environment.

Compost

Home composting is a great way to use up some of your food waste without sending it to the landfill. By creating a compost bin or heap in your garden, you will reduce the amount of waste leaving your house, as well as creating super fertile soil for your garden! This is great if you grow your own produce (helping to reduce packaging waste even more!).

By using some of these creative recycling tips in your day to day lives, you will be helping to improve both your local and global environment! Think outside of the box when recycling; you may discover something new that is both beneficial to the environment, and beneficial to your wallet!

Polythene UK is a company that takes sustainablity seriously. Their products help companies to drastically reduce the amount of packaging they use. They supply compostable bags, as well as efficient pallet wrappers and low yield polylite plastic.

Tags: recycle, recycling