Reducing and reusing is the best way to minimise your impact on the environment when it comes to waste. There are lots of ways to reduce and reuse things, from using reusable bags rather than plastic carrier bags, giving second-hand clothes or furniture a new lease of life, or getting savvy in the kitchen to reduce the amount of food that gets thrown in the bin.
Tips on how to reduce and reuse
Reusables
Switching to reusables will not only save waste, but save money too. It is always best to use what you have before investing in something new, and you may already have something you can reuse as a reusable, such as jam jars and ice cream tubs to store leftovers, or using a washcloth instead of make up wipes. To find out more hints and tips, check out our Remember your Reusables page.
Refill shops
A great way to reduce your waste is to buy refills, and there are a large and growing number of refill shops across the county. Check out our list on our Remember your Reusables page.
Nappy scheme
The average child spends two and half years in nappies. If disposables are used, this could generate around 2.5 tonnes of waste. Using reusables however, can eliminate this waste. To help with the financial outlay for these, we have secured a range of discounts with a few different providers. For more details, see our Reusable Nappy Discount Scheme page.
Reducing food waste
The average home in the UK throws away the equivalent of six meals a week, costing families up to £60 a month. This has a big impact on the environment, is a huge waste of money and a waste of good food when thousands of people in the UK live in food poverty.
The Love Food Hate Waste campaign has lots of practical advice on how to save money and reduce the amount that we throw away in our homes. Find out useful tips on the storage of food, recipe ideas for using up your leftovers and advice on portioning and meal planning at the Love Food Hate Waste website.
Community repaint scheme
Millions of litres of usable paint are disposed of each year, and Community RePaint aims to find a loving home for all the perfectly usable paint. You can donate any paint you have at six Recycling Centres around Cambridgeshire, including Witchford, March, Milton, St Neots, Thriplow and Wisbech. You can also buy paint that has been reprocessed for bargain prices. For more information visit the Community Repaint Scheme website.
Pass it on
Have you got something that you don’t need any more and want to get rid of? There are lots of options to help you to either swap, sell or donate your unwanted items.
Gumtree is an active network which allows you to swap, sell and buy items.
Both Freecycle and Freegle allow you to advertise items you need to get rid of and items that you want – and it’s all free!
Want to make some money from your stuff? You can sell it on eBay.
Why not donate your unwanted items to charity? Find out where your local charity shops are, opening times and what items they will accept.
Witchford Recycling Centre is starting a pilot scheme called Revive. You can visit the Revive website to see the items available for sale at the site and reserve them before visiting Witchford.
Love Your Clothes
For tips on how to make your clothes last longer, reduce the environmental impact of your clothes or make the most of your wardrobe, visit the Love your clothes website.
