Household Recycling Tips

We’ve all experienced how quickly a bunch of unripe bananas turn from yellow to brown seemingly overnight. So it’s not a huge surprise to learn that the UK throws away 9.5 million tonnes of food every year. The real shock is that 70% of that food waste would have been edible, if only it had been stored correctly and saved before it expired.

The solution to preventing the majority of household food waste is easy. It just needs to be put in the freezer. Everything from uncooked vegetables to ripe fruit can be frozen, preserving its flavour and preventing it from going to landfill.

If food turns bad before it’s had a chance to be eaten, there’s still an opportunity to save it. Composting is a far better alternative than throwing it in the waste bin.

UK households dispose of approximately 12 million tonnes of packaging every year. The vast majority of that waste is made from plastic food packaging, like fruit and vegetable trays and snack bags.

Since plastic packaging accounts for nearly 70% of plastic waste in the UK, it’s a huge issue that needs to be tackled at home. This can be difficult since plastic plays an important role in transporting produce, but there is a way.

To help minimise the issue of packaging waste, opt for loose fruit and vegetables over pre-packaged ones. Whenever packaging is unavoidable, look for recyclable alternatives. Paper and cards can be recycled multiple times, whereas tins and glass can be infinitely recycled.

The British public love to shop but we’re terrible at returning unwanted products. The result is a whopping £641 million wasted on online purchases that never get used and never get returned.

These unwanted purchases are destined for landfill but not before they spend years cluttering up our homes. The result is 14 million tonnes of waste being sent to landfill every year. It’s possible to avoid being part of the problem and become part of the solution instead.

Wherever possible, it’s best to borrow an item or shop for it second-hand rather than buying new. If that isn’t possible, which is so often the case, make sure the item is well-made, efficient, and durable. This will ensure it won’t need to be replaced any time soon.