New Year Recycling Resolutions

This year may have started like any other for most people in the UK, you will have made a New Year resolution – perhaps even a list full – and by now you’ve either broken them or are perilously close to doing so. We know it’s hard: the gym is a slog, the diet isn’t tasty and saving money isn’t fun. But a resolution for the New Year and beyond that you’re more than capable of, with small changes, is to recycle more and to be greener.

You might be wondering how this is any less taxing than your other resolutions, which is why we have compiled a whole swathe of little changes you can make in terms of your recycling.

Old clothes

We all grow out of clothes or wear them so much that they become unusable, but don’t just dump them in your bin. Most cities and towns have textile banks; they’re even in some retail parks and supermarkets. Simply keep those old clothes at hand and recycle them in one of these banks when you next see your local one.

Buy loose

When it comes to fruit and veg, the supermarkets love to package things up and make them look fancy. In reality this creates a lot of avoidable waste, either pick them up loose at a supermarket or buy local and be super green by reducing the waste you have.

Junk mail

Ok, so not all junk mail can be prevented but a lot of it comes down to the registering for marketing materials when you sign up for services or products. Make sure you check the box which states that you don’t want their fliers or offers. This reduces the amount of waste paper you put in the bin and it only takes a click.

Glass recycling

For a while now, most council authorities have been providing glass recycling so there should be no excuse for putting bottles and jars out to recycle. If you don’t have this service in your area, simply get a plastic box, collect your glass and every two weeks take it to a bottle bank. This ensures you do your bit and it takes little thought.

Reusable bags

It’s been in the news a lot recently, but most shops still give out plastic carrier bags as if they were going out of fashion. Make sure they do go out of fashion; keep your reusable bag in your car, handbag or satchel folded up and ready to use. Now there is no excuse to forget and you help the environment.

Coffee mug

It’s a strange idea, but it has begun to take hold in America: take your own mug into your favourite coffee store and ask them to make your drink in this. If you’re on the move you can get a more secure thermos-like mug. Think about how many paper cups you waste from coffee shops and the benefits will be obvious.

Less napkins

When you grab a handful of napkins do you honestly use all of them? Probably not. There is a simple fix here: only take one. You can always get more if you need them, but it would save tonnes of waste going into landfill if everyone took one less napkin.

Alternative wrapping

Christmas may have been and gone, but there will surely be birthdays, anniversaries and public holidays to celebrate with presents. Rather than buy a whole new roll of paper, simply recycle something else to add character to a present. You can decorate your own paper or use old maps to create a unique gift.

Bottled water

Bottled water might seem cheaper than other drinks, but you’re still wasting money and harming the environment with unnecessary plastic. Simply keep one bottle and refill it with tap water from home, if you’re in a hard water area then have it filtered and chilled overnight, you won’t know the difference.

Charity shops

Buying things second hand seems to have a stigma attached to it, but by purchasing toys, games and books from charity shops you get a double-whammy: firstly for giving money to charity, and secondly for recycling something rather than buying it new.

These are just a handful of easy changes you can make in your life, it won’t cost you much money or effort but it will make a big difference to the planet. To find out more about recycling then contact Woodford Recycling today, we will help you with waste management on both commercial and domestic fronts and we recycle 85% of the waste we take in.