Reducing and recycling rubbish - a guide
A guide to reducing and recycling rubbish, including why rubbish is a problem and what you can do to make a difference.
Design in recycling
If your are refurbishing or altering property you or your architect should consider how you will store your waste and recycle it. Use the Architects code of practice for advice.
Why is rubbish a problem?
None of the waste collected in Lambeth is sent direct to landfill. All residual waste is sent to a new Energy from Waste Plant in the London Borough of Bexley. The waste is burnt, generating enough electricity to power 100,000 homes. The end product is a mix of ash and non-combustible items such as metal and brick, all of which gets recycled.
However, preventing waste is still incredibly important and not just environmentally. Lambeth spends £16 million disposing of the borough's waste each year. Waste prevention could help to reduce this considerably.
What can we do to make a difference?
You can recycle most of your household rubbish. The council's recycling services now make recycling more convenient than ever before.
For recycling services see:
Recycling gives things a future by making new products from rubbish meaning we don't have to bury or burn it. This saves energy and resources which is good for the economy and the environment.
As well as recycling, we can:
- reduce the amount of rubbish we produce
- reuse or repair items
- buy products made from recycled material
In Lambeth the average bin contains…
- Garden rubbish and food scraps 30%
- Paper and card 26%
- Glass 12%
- Plastics 9%
- Nappies 3%
- Cans 2%
- Textiles 2%
- Other 16%
Over 60% of your rubbish can be recycled!
What else can I do?
Real nappies
Lambeth estimates that more than 1,700 of disposable nappies are thrown away every year in the borough, costing the council and therefore taxpayers, around £220,000 in waste disposal costs.
Studies have shown that 5-9% of all household waste is disposable nappy waste.
Real nappies (also known as washable/reusable/cloth nappies) are now made from the softest modern fabrics, have shaped designs, funky colours and fasten just like a disposable.
Nappy Voucher Scheme
Unfortunately as of 31 March 2012 Lambeth have left the Real Nappy for London voucher scheme. We hope to be able to offer another incentive scheme in the near future.
If you have a Real Nappy for London voucher that has not expired please use it before the expiry date.
If you require further info, please speak to Philip on pokeeffe@lambeth.gov.uk or 020 7926 8948.
Nappucinos
Nappucinos are informal meetings where parents, and parents to be can find out more about real nappies. A Real Nappy Advisor will be available to answer any questions you may have about real nappies.
To find your nearest Nappucino parents need to visit Real Nappies for London or call 020 7324 4709.
Love Food Hate Waste
Every year UK households discard 8.3 million tonnes of edible food. Throwing this amount of food away costs the average family with children £680 a year, or £50 a month.
Wasted food also contributes to CO² emissions. If we were to stop wasting food that could have been eaten, there would be a huge positive impact on the environment - equivalent to taking 1 in 4 cars off the road.
There are some very simple steps we can all take to reduce the amount of food wasted - from planning meals, to storing food correctly and cooking the right amounts. For great tips and some fantastic recipes, visit the Love Food Hate Waste website.
Charity shops
Charity shops accept good quality, reusable items during opening hours, such as books, bric-a-brac, CDs, clothes, games, records, shoes, and even mobile phones.
Please check with your local charity shop what they can accept.
Unwanted mail
The average household receives 650 pieces of junk mail a year! To find out how to reduce the amount of unwanted mail you receive, follow our 10 easy steps to reduce unwanted mail.
Reducing rubbish
On average we each take home 323 plastic bags every year.
You can help reduce this by buying a 'bag for life' from local supermarkets, reusing ordinary plastic bags, or using a canvas or cloth bag when shopping.
Buy recycled
For recycling to have the greatest impact we need to buy more recycled items.
Look out for recycled products and buy them where you can - this is the final step in the recycling process.
New technology gives us recycled products that are of good quality and cost the same or are even cheaper than non-recycled products.
Recycled products available:
Everyday items:
- printer paper (guaranteed printer-friendly)
- toilet paper, tissues, kitchen roll
- greeting cards
- stationery
- bin bags
Unusual items:
- garden furniture
- drinking glasses
- pens and rulers (made from vending cups)
- fleeces (made from plastic bottles)
For more ideas visit www.recycledproducts.org.uk.