Take Action
As an Individual
Waste and Recycling
Waste disposal is a major cause of harm to the environment, through the release of greenhouse gases, the use of land and energy, and the impact on plant and animal life.
Reduce
- Restrict the amount of new things you acquire by focussing on what you need rather than what you want.
- When you do buy, try to minimise the amount of packaging, particularly non-recyclable packaging, and consider the waste implications of the product. eg buy loose rather than packed vegetables, take your own container to the butchers to carry meat.
- Read a newspaper online rather than a print version.
- Buy in bulk where possible – the larger the quantity the smaller the packing element.
Reuse
- Minimise food waste by careful buying and reusing leftovers
- Try to repair or adapt possessions rather than replace them. eg convert jeans that have gone at the knees into shorts
- Carry a reusable coffee cup rather than use take-out plastic coated cups
- Don’t buy bottled water – carry a flask which has the added advantage of keeping your drink at the required temperature
Recycle
- Take care to follow the guidance given by your local authority on recycling
- Take items that are of no use to you to charity shops or local charities to support those in need rather than throwing them away or use online websites such as Freecycle to sell or give things away.
- Look for ways of recycling items that are difficult to recycle. Terracycle offer a very wide range of schemes for the free recycling of things such as crisp packets, breadbags, medical blister packs, laundry product containers and many more. If there is not a location in your area your club could set up a scheme.