Recycling - AT HOME 

Needless to say, everything we use at home normally ends up getting thrown away. Be it newspapers, food packaging, cosmetics and - horror of horrors - soiled nappies!

 
Here in Swindon, we've got some pretty good facillities for recycling nearly all those items - including weekly kerbside collections in some areas. So there is no real excuse is there?

Simple steps

 
Once again, it's the usual mantra:

 
Reduce, Re-use and Recycle

 
There is nothing worse than throwing out stuff that we've bought too much of. Or hardly used.

 

At the supermarket: try not to buy heavily packaged goods, buy ‘loose’ food instead. It really saves on unnecessary plastic.

 
Junk mail? Not only a real pain but a real waste of paper. Try contacting the Mailing Preference Service to cancel the majority of it if you've really had enough.

 
Toilet paper: while we appreciate Swindonians are proud of their personal cleanliness, there are individuals who use more toilet paper than the whole of the British Army put together.

 

Start here, and you'll find the whole reducing thing easier than you thought.

 
Consider all the things that you throw out, could they be reused?

 
Old Magazines: how many times have you re-read a magazine after you've put it in the rack? Hardly ever, we'll bet. So why not donate them to your local Doctors' surgery. The non-risque ones anyway! We're sure the waiting patients will be pleased to have more choice than an old copy of Readers Digest or a 2001 edition of Women's Own.

 

Scrap paper: just like the office, we can save paper at home as well. And as most households now have a computer, it's always a good idea to reuse the printer paper when you can.

 
If you can't reuse it, then recycling should be the first option. Now easier than ever thanks to the recycling points available around town.
Paper: an obvious one this one. Starting with newspapers and magazines.

 
Plastic: whether it's a bottle of bath foam or an old garden chair, the energy used in the production of plastics means recycling these items is all important.

 

The other benefits are endless: reduced amounts of solid waste going to landfill and reduced emissions of carbon-dioxide, nitrogen-oxide and sulphur-dioxide.

 
Steel cans and food packaging: in simple terms, every tonne of steel that is recycled saves double that in natural resources. Need we say more?

 
Organic waste: no we're not asking you to recycle your own poo, but composting your kitchen and garden waste is a great way to do your bit for the environment.

 
Batteries: be careful here, but it is possible to recycle rechargeable batteries and lead acid car batteries. Your local recycling centre being the only place you should do it, however.

 
Aluminium: the really good news is that aluminium can be recycled again and again without compromising quality.

 

Clean aluminium foil and cans are especially easy to recycle. So next time you get a take away try and think of the environment while you're tucking into your Chicken Bhuna!

 
Cars and Vehicles: now also easier to recycle. And, in some cases, a legal requirement. Once again your local recycling centre will guide you.

Some interesting facts:

 
Just a few things that might make your recycling efforts all the more worth it.

 
The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle will:

 
- Power a 100 watt light bulb for an hour
- Power a computer for 20 minutes
- Power a colour TV for 15 minutes
- Power a washing machine for 10 minutes