Guide to reducing and recycling waste

If you have books, toys, clothes or bric-a-brac that you no longer need, think about reusing or recycling them before you consider throwing them away.

Books, toys and bric-a-brac

Charity shops are always grateful to receive unwanted books, toys and bric-a-brac. 

Hospitals too are often grateful for donations of good quality toys. 

Look for places that sell second-hand books or even furniture rather than buying new every time, and take any old items back so they can be reused again.

There are a number of local charities and organisations that may be interested in your second-hand furniture and appliances if they’re in good condition. 

Clothes

Lots of us are guilty of holding onto clothes which we no longer wear, for one reason or another. The average UK household has around £4,000 worth of clothes in their wardrobe, but around 30% of clothing in wardrobes has not been worn for at least a year.

Make some time to sort through your clothes and see what you can reuse, share or recycle. Consider:

• selling good quality items online
• donating to charity shops
• rescuing or repurposing old t-shirts as cleaning cloths
• using pretty fabric as eco-wrapping for gifts
• recycling worn out items at a textile bank

In addition:

• embrace vintage and swapping. There are many vintage and charity shops in Newark, Southwell and Ollerton. Clothes swap and swishing events are becoming popular around the district and many events are free or raise money for charity. You can follow Southwell Swishing – Facebook
• buy less. Only buy what you really need and consider spending a bit more on quality items that will last, rather than fast fashion
• look for eco-friendly materials and natural fibres. Go for cotton over polyester, for example. They feel a lot nicer when you wear them and they do not contain microfibres that go into our water and marine environment when we wash clothes