Recycling and reducing waste

Reducing your waste is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment. From thinking differently about what you buy to using reusable items, there are lots of ways to make a real difference.

Download our Waste Guide 2023 booklet

Recycle at home

The easiest way to recycle at home is by making sure you put the correct items into your grey recycling bin and recycling as many of these items as possible.

Food waste

Avoid throwing out food - this will save you money and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions:  

• pre-plan meals to avoid unnecessary buying    
• always write a shopping list
• perfect portions - only cook what you need
• use up leftovers
• store and freeze leftovers

You can find handy tips and advice to help everyone waste less food on the Love Food Hate Waste website.

Charity shops and reuse

Before you throw items you no longer need, think about donating to a charity shop or using a website like Freecycle to pass them on to others who could use them.

Reusable bags for life

If you switch to a ‘bag for life’ you can prevent plastic bags ending up in your bin.

Here's a few handy hints to help you remember to use your bags:

• take bags with you every time you go shopping
• keep spare bags in your car or at work
• let the check-out staff know you've brought your own bags before they pack for you

Stop unwanted junk mail

If you reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, this will cut down how much paper you need to recycle.

Here's some tips to help you reduce the amount of junk mail you get:

• avoid joining mailing lists - when you complete forms or surveys, tick the box to say you don't want to receive more info or offers
• join the Mail Preference Service to have your name removed from direct mailing lists
• join the Royal Mail door to door service to reduce unaddressed junk mail
• display a 'no junk mail' sticker on your door or letterbox

Real nappies

Modern real nappies are a cost-effective way reduce the amount of waste you put in your black bin.

By the time your baby is potty trained you could use 4,000 to 6,000 disposable nappies. 

There's a huge range of modern real nappies available. The modern designs are slightly more expensive to use than the traditional cloth nappies but still much cheaper than disposables in the long run.

We have a real nappy trial kit you can borrow to see the different types and styles of nappies available. If you'd like to borrow the kit or for more information on real nappies, email: environment@rutland.gov.uk.