REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE
- Reduce plastic waste and eliminate single use plastic use altogether
- Reuse
- Recycle
REDUCE PLASTIC USE
What can I do?
- Join campaigns to encourage supermarkets to ditch/ reduce plastic wrapping of fruit and veg
- Join in The Big Plastic Count and find out your plastic usage and ways to reduce it.
- In Denmark there is a reverse vending bottle scheme where people are paid to deposit empty plastic bottles and they receive money in return. This also reduces the amount of littering of plastic bottles – another benefit. This is under consideration here!Please support it!
- Write to your MP asking them to do more to tackle the problem of single use plastic and to promote accessible refill and reuse systems and a bottle deposit scheme.
- Don’t wrap unless you have to.
- Replace plastic with paper, card, glass, wood, metal etc.
- Use recyclable paper at Christmas. Avoid glitter which can’t be recycled.
- Use refillable water bottles and coffee cups
- Use water fountains where available.
- Download the Water Refill app and use it to find places where you can refill your water bottle for free. Cafes etc usually have the logo in the window eg Pickering, Kirbymoorside.
- Always try to bring your own bags when shopping.
- Look for unwrapped fruit and veg at your local greengrocer or supermarket or at your local market.
- Use a bar instead of shower gel, shampoo and conditioner e.g. Lush, Gruum or refill your old shampoo container at a refill shop.
- Buy washing and cleaning products in cardboard boxes not plastic bags.
- Bring containers with you when buying fish and meat to avoid those plastic bags!
- Use rewashable cotton cleaning cloths.
- Use bamboo cutlery which can be washed (free at M&S) and reusable straws or take your own cutlery on picnics.
- Reuse old jam jars for salad dressing, storing your spices, sugar etc.
- Reuse old bread and cereal bags as sandwich or freezer bags.
- Get your milk delivered in reusable glass bottles e.g. Ryedale – CL Dunn, mobile number: 07598881228, and Scampston Dairy email: Scampstondairy@gmail.com. mobile number :07879611290
- Grow your own veg and herbs!
- Buy local to reduce food miles and excessive packaging and plan ahead to buy just what you need to avoid throwing out stuff.
- Cut up old tea towels or clothes and reuse as cleaning cloths.
- Avoid those hotel mini toiletries which will be thrown away once used up.
- Use washable cleaning wipes for kiddies
- Organise a toy swap at your local playgroup, nursery or school.
- Make homemade rinse aid by putting white vinegar into the rinse aid compartment of your dishwasher – simple! Try mixing vinegar, water, lemon and bicarb of soda as a natural cleaner which works well and keeps plastic toxins down.
- Add 200g of bicarbonate of soda to a washing load and whites and colours will come out brighter as it helps balance the Ph levels to get clothes cleaner.
- Try not to buy clothing containing polyester and acrylic etc. Choose natural fibre clothing like organic cotton, hemp, or bamboo which don’t cause microfibre pollution. They may cost more initially but they will last much longer and are much more environmentally friendly.
- Use washable cloth nappies rather than disposable.
- Try not to buy fizzy drinks in plastic bottles.
- Use local refill shops for dried goods, cleaning stuffs etc. Shopping in refill shops is often more cost effective as well as good for the environment!
- In Ryedale there are several refill shops including Health Matters in Helmsley, Scoops and the Beecham Weigh in Malton, The Old Weigh in Pickering, Moorside Stores Kirbymoorside.
- Use second hand online shops like Facebook Market Place, Vinted, Ebay, Freecycle and Gumtree to look for second hand goods and save money!
- Use recycled toilet paper e.g. from Who Gives A Crap, Naked Sprout, Reel.
- Buy in bulk if you can – saves on travel and petrol and keep it local if you can!
- Use the ‘do you really need it’ test when thinking of buying new things for clothes as well!!
- Swap bubble wrap for newspaper or reused tissue which is cheaper and creates less waste
- Use the Morsbag! This local organisation aims to reduce the use of plastic shopping bags.