Working Towards Zero Waste - April is Waste Prevention in West Dunbartonshire
The aim of waste prevention is to prevent and minimise the quantity of waste which is produced therefore reducing the waste that ends up in landfill. This can be achieved by producing less waste in the first place, by recycling materials and re-using items for another purpose. All of these activities are considered to be preventative as they contribute to reducing the amount of waste that enters the waste stream.
Waste Prevention offers West Dunbartonshire and Scotland the opportunity to be much more sustainable in its use of materials. Activities which we can get involved in include reducing junk mail, composting at home, supporting local re-use and second hand initiatives and reducing our use of plastic carrier bags. The Council has developed a Ten Point Plan which every resident can use and help reduce the environmental impact of our every day actions.
The Scottish Government in partnership with retailers has also launched a campaign to reduce the use of carrier bags. Most people know why they should reuse carrier bags but forget to take them with them when shopping. The Scottish Government’s ‘Elephant’ campaign aims to encourage consumers to reuse bags when shopping. For more information on the campaign and other ways to reduce waste visit www.wasteawarescotland.org.uk.
Every resident can use the Councils ten point plan to help to reduce the environmental impact of our every day actions and to prevent and minimize the quantity if waste which is produced therefore reducing the waste that ends up in landfill. This can be achieved by producing less waste in the first place, by recycling materials and re-using items for another purpose. All of these activities are considered to be preventative as they contribute to reducing the amount of waste that enters the waste stream. Residents can also take this opportunity to reduce other forms of waste such as energy and fuel, all of which can reduce our individual carbon footprints.
A recent survey by the British Heart Foundation showed that a lack of awareness and inconvenience was being blamed as the main reason why people fail to recycle furniture and large electrical goods. The research found that 17% of people surveyed did not recycle such items because it was too much hassle and a further 16% of people said it was because they didn’t have any facilities nearby. The survey also found that 26% of people replace large furniture and electrical items every two years which has a damaging effect on the environment as an estimated 50,000 tonnes of household furniture is sent to landfill every year.
West Dunbartonshire Council is encouraging people to donate their unwanted furniture or any other resalable article to the array of charity shops and organisations in the area.
View the Waste Prevention Ten Point Plan (91KB .pdf document).
Top tips for Reducing Waste
-
Reduce Unwanted Direct Mail - Residents of West Dunbartonshire may wish to reduce the amount of unwanted direct mail they receive by registering with a free service to remove their name from mailing lists in the UK. The Mailing Preference Services (MPS) is a free service which has been operating for over 20 years to enable consumers to have their individual names and home addresses removed for UK mailing lists. If you would like to remove your name from mailing lists register with the MPS at www.mpsonline.org.uk or by calling their information line on 0845 703 4599.
-
Buy products with the minimum amount of packaging. For example, when you buy fruit and vegetables in the supermarket, do not take a plastic bag for each item. Instead place the fruit and vegetables loose in the trolley.
-
Buy re-usable products instead of disposable ones, such as re-usable instead of plastic razors and rechargeable batteries.
-
Try to avoid disposable plastic bags by choosing 'life' shopping bags that can be used over and over. Many supermarkets offer bags for life for around 10p and when they need replacing they replace them free of charge. If you have to use disposable bags then re-use them as many times as possible.
-
Buy products with packaging that can be recycled in your blue bin refuse collection scheme or your local recycling centre.
-
Compost your garden, fruit and vegetable waste in your compost heap or home compost bin.
-
Use real cotton nappies which are washed and used again rather than binned. Additional information can be found on the real nappies page.
In an effort to reduce the food waste we throw away the Zero Waste Scotland programme and West Dunbartonshire Council are raising awareness of the environmental and economic impacts of food waste. The 'Love Food Hate Waste' campaign focuses on Scottish households and encourages people to share their hints and tips on reducing food waste by using an interactive website with food waste diaries and a forum for exchanging ideas on how to avoid wasting the food they buy. There is also help from chefs and food champions on how to plan and prepare food, information on storing and portioning and recipe ideas for leftovers.
To find out how to how to plan and prepare food, information on storing and portioning, recipe ideas for leftovers and more about the campaign visit the Waste Aware Love Food web page.
Top tips for Re-Use
-
Each household uses 3 to 4 glass bottles and jars every week. Glass jars such as marmalade jars and coffee jars can be cleaned and re-used as storage jars. If you cannot reuse glass, please remember to recycle it at your nearest Recycling Centre.
-
If you are a gardener, large plastic bottles can be used in the garden to protect young plants and provide water reservoirs for older plants.
-
The Council provides a reusable nappies programme. Further information can be found on the real nappies page.
-
Pass on unwanted items for re-use. For example, unwanted books and toys can be passed on to children's wards in hospitals or to community groups or charity shops. Larger items such as furniture may be useful to someone else in your family even if you no longer want it.
-
Furniture in good condition can be donated to Home from Home, who redistribute it to residents in need of affordable, second-hand furniture. Home from Home can be contacted on: 01389 733733.
-
Carpets can be donated to Spruce Carpets, who refurbish them and redistribute it to residents in need of affordable flooring. Spruce Carpets can be contacted by telephone on 0141 425 1555 or visit the Spruce Carpets website.
-
Plastic bottles can be re-used time after time by refilling.
-
Household batteries like those used in personal stereos can be recycled at the Councils Household Waste Recycling Centres or at supermarkets.
Top tips for Recycling
A large majority of what we put in our waste bin can be recycled or composted and many residents now have kerbside or doorstep bins to enable them to recycle easily. Recycle all your waste paper, cardboard, plastic bottles and food and drinks cans using your blue bin or box. Recycle your garden waste by using your brown bin. For further information visit the refuse collection page.
You can also visit your local Recycling Point or Household Waste Recycling Centre for the collection of items such as glass, textiles, engine oil and white goods. Household Waste Recycling Centres can be found at: Dalmoak Recycling Centre, near Renton; Ferry Road Recycling Centre, Old Kilpatrick and Stanford Street, Clydebank. There are numerous Recycling Points throughout the West Dunbartonshire area. For further details on where you can recycle specific items, please contact the Waste Aware team on: 0845 111 0050 or visit the Waste Aware Scotland website.
Our A to Z guide to reducing, reusing and recycling waste has many further hints, tips and information on items that can be recycled and what happens to your waste. Download the A-Z Recycling Guide (270KB .pdf document). Our handy poster gives a list of what can be recycled in your blue bin, bag or box. Download the recycling poster (109KB .pdf document) print it on scrap paper and place where all the family can see it!
For more ideas on how to prevent waste and save valuable resources download the Waste Prevention Leaflet (167KB .pdf document).
