Boobalou's Slim The Bin Challage

15 February 2014  |  Jo

As part of the European Week for Waste Reduction I’m committed to Slim The Bin!
The idea is to recycle, reuse and compost more of your household items.
Instead of sending plastic film to landfill find a local recycling centre and reuse it a least one more time before you say goodbye.
We want to see photos or hear how much waste you have diverted from landfill. Share your story, tips and ideas on our Facebook Page or Join our Facebook Group. Help more people to Slim The Bin:


Boobalou Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BoobalouEcoLiving

Boobalou Eco Living Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1541019926132028/


Here are some ideas:
•Recycle plastic cereal liners, plastic-wrapped grocery produce and multipack shrink wrap in my local supermarkets plastic bag facility

•Drinks cartons can be taken to the local green bin drinks carton facility. There are 5 in my area

•Squash all recycling to save space and energy

•Reuse waste where possible before it gets recycled.

•Choose products with less packaging

•Try to stop junk mail, contact the companies direct.

• I have set up a recycling station at my local Children's Centre to send non-recyclable baby food pouches to TerraCycle. The money raised will go to the charity of my choice in Cambodia Kep Gardens


Recycling still creates waste and uses energy so reuse first.
Ways to reuse before recycling

•Use plastic cereal liners and plastic food packaging to:

Freeze food

Use to shake and bake food

Put sandwiches in

When finished rinse them out and send to a recycling centre

•Reuse envelopes and packaging

•Turn ice cream tubs, butter tubs into useful items like storage containers or use for freezing food. I like to use them to store food waste before I transfer it to my home compost bin or food caddy.

•Reuse jam jars to make your own jam or as toothbrush holders. You can also use glass jars to freeze food or as a drinking jar.

•Use plastic bottles as a bird feeder
What are your ideas?
Recycling tips

•Make sure items are reasonable clean. Remove any food, pour away excess liquid, rinse out with old washing up water.

•Lids off- Separate plastic lids and jam jar lids. Lids have a different melting point and normally need to be separated. Check with your local facility. •Crush and squeeze plastic and cans to save room and energy.

•Remove labels if you can. Check with your local council if you need to do this.

•Envelopes, check if your recycling centre accepts the plastic windows and the glue on envelops. If not ask where you can find a facility for this.

•Ask companies to receive online statements only. Remove your address from Junk mail at Mpsonline.org.uk

•If paper packaging is greasy from cheese or meat for example, this normally can not be recycled and should be composted.

•Find out what types of plastic can be recycled in your kerbside collection. Look for numbers inside recycling symbols on packaging. My local collection takes type 1 & 2 plastics. Check what your collection excepts. If your council cannot recycle type 2-7 plastics then ask where this can be recycled.


Check with your council what can and can not be recycled, learn something new. Tell us what have you learnt and what are you going to change.
We want to hear how much waste you have saved this week. Including tips and ideas to help more people to Slim The Bin!

 

Boobalou Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BoobalouEcoLiving

Boobalou Eco Living Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1541019926132028/