Household produce waste runs not into kg but tonnes!  The vast majority of which then goes as landfill or incineration with resulting negative environmental impacts.  What can we as individuals do to alleviate this situation?  The key is to recycle, re-use and reduce (consumption).

Here are some simple basic tips to help you on your way:

Recycle:

• An average UK individual uses the equivalent of 6 trees of paper annually.  Despite efforts we are not becoming a paperless society.  So what can we do?  The first is obvious; we must recycle paper.  When printing do you print on both sides? No?!?! Well start.
• Secondly, sort out your waste.  Keep paper separate and take to your local authority for recycling (shredding anything that is confidential).  In certain circumstances it is also possible to compost this paper – although you need to measure this carefully with other contents in your compost bin (more on this in another article)
• All organic waste – vegetable peelings, grass cuttings, tea bags – should also be sorted and set aside for the compost bin.
• Glass, plastic, aluminium, like paper should all be set aside before going in the dustbin and taken to the local authority for recycling.  For larger items that you need to dispose of try www.freecycle.org and/or charity shops.  It is much better for the environment to pass clothes onto someone in need rather than throw them out to end up in landfill.

Reuse:

• Clothes that are not fit to be used by someone else can be used for another purpose – rags for the garage, dusters for the house, etc. 
• When shopping try and minimise need for plastic bags.  Plastic bags are very difficult to recycle.  So acquire sustainable shopping bags that you can re-use time and time again.  If applicable make sure you always have bags in your car for all those last minute shopping trips.
• If products you purchase come in tubs – such as ice cream – then re-use for packed lunches rather than using clingfilm.
• Use scrap paper for jotting down notes.  Similarly for used envelopes (if you cannot reuse them to send out)

Reduce:

• Reducing energy consumption is key for environmental sustainability.
• Switch off all lights when not in the room, switch off electrics rather than use standby mode.
• Use rechargeable batteries where possible - they will last several hundred uses!

These are just a few of many tips on doing your bit for the environment and inhabiting the world in a more sustainable manner.  More tips are likely to follow on this blog, in the meantime I would like to hear your ideas and tips.

1. Get a bin!! Many local authorities provide compost bins for free or for a nominal sum.  Look out the environment or waste department and give them a call.

2. Think about the site for your compost bin.  Clear an area in the garden to the bare/loose soil.  Ensure the site is easy to get to top it up (a compost bin is no use for the environment if it is an empty one!).  It is also important to site it in an area that gets the sun and lets that solar energy get to work!

3. Start collecting ingredients – have a small ice cream tub or similar under your sink for all the vegetable peelings , tea bags and egg shells.  You can also compost cereal packets and similar (toilet rolls are often forgotten about).  Do not compost meat, fish or cooked food.

4. Collect outside ingredients – collect grass cuttings, weeds, wood chips, dead leaves.

5. Starting the process – a good way to start is by layering the contents in your bin – start with brown ingredients, then green and so on.  You many need to add water if the mix seems a little dry.

6. The green and brown mix – a careful balance must be maintained between green ingredients (such as kitchen scraps and grass cuttings, etc) and brown ingredients (leaves, cardboard, etc).  A good rule to start with is to have 2 parts brown: 1 part green.

7.  The waiting game – composting is no overnight experience.  You will have to wait for a good few months before the compost is useable.  Nature takes time to work!  To help it along on its way it is a good idea to turn the turn regularly to circulate oxygen in the mix.

8. Keeping topping up!

9. Check it! One the compost turns into a product that is dark, thick, moist and crumbly (time taken depends on the season and climate) it is ready to use.

10. Use it! Compost makes an excellent quality fertiliser for all garden requirements.