In the Home

Reducing Waste In The Home

• Get into the recycling habit :
  • Use the household collection scheme for all paper, cardboard, cans and plastic bottles
    
  • Take all glass to one of the public recycling sites throughout the Borough
    
  • Take old clothes and textiles to a charity shop or to one of the banks at recycling sites
    
• Home compost your green garden and kitchen waste ( e.g. grass cuttings, vegetable peelings, tea bags, egg shells etc. ). Waste can be reduceed by up to 25% and the end product is a 'free' compost which will improve the soil in the garden.

The Authority offers subsidised compost bins from £9.95. Click on the link at the bottom of this page for further details.

• For larger quantities of green waste such as hedge trimmings the Authority offers a household collection service. Click on the link at the bottom of this page for further details.
  
  
• Say 'NO' to junk mail. To remove your name from the mailing list write to :
  Mailing Preference Service
  Freepost 22
  London
  W1E 7EX
  or use the link at the bottom of this page to print out a postcard which has been pre-addressed.
  
  
• Take unwanted clothes, shoes, toys and household goods to charity shops or jumble sales.
  
  
• Avoid disposabes whenever possible such as cups, plates, cutlery, razors etc.
  
  
• Use terry nappies rather than disposables. 4% of all household waste is disposable nappies. More information is available on a page on nappies.
  
  
• Milk bottles - ensure the bottles are returned as these can be reused as many as 30 times before having to be recycled.
  
  
• Repair broken items rather than throw them away.
  
  
• If you are replacing old furniture which is still in relatively good condition someone else may still be able to use it. Both the Slough Furniture Project ( 01753 692535 ) and Thames Valley Hospice Mart ( 01753866303 ) collect and repair items for resale to those that are less 'well off'.
  
  
• Cancel delivery of unwanted 'free' newspapers.
  
  
• Use the back of old paper for shopping lists and notes.
  
  
• Pass on unwanted rolls of wallpaper to playgroups and schools for use in craft activities.
  
  
• Reuse old envelopes.
  
  
• Use jars to store food instead of throwing them away.
  
  
• Reuse old yoghurt pots for seedlings in the garden. Plastic bottles can also be cut in half and used as mini-cloches to protect plants.
  
  
• Reuse magarine and ice-cream tubs as food storage containers for freezers.
  
  
• Rather than taking all unwanted items to the tip after clearing out the loft or garage, consider having a car boot sale or garage sale.
  
  

•   Say 'NO' to Junk Mail - print off postcard (rtf) 11kb