Guide to reducing and recycling waste

To see what you can recycle, go to guide to recycling plastics – Nottinghamshire County Council.

You can also use their materials checker to see if you can recycle a particular item.

Recycling checker – Nottinghamshire County Council

Reduce single-use plastics

Many of the things we take for granted are plastic. Yet small changes in habits can make a huge difference. 

Here are a few ideas to get your started:

1. carry a re-usable water bottle and fill it up for free. Download the refill app to find thousands of local refill stations nationwide
2. carry a re-usable coffee cup. In the UK more than seven million disposable coffee cups are used each day. Cups are normally made of two different materials that cannot be recycled unless separated and processed through a specialist scheme. Many businesses even offer you a discount for providing your own cup so it’s a money-saver too
3. use washable cutlery when you grab a to-go lunch or go for a picnic
4. avoid pre-packaged foods. Many local shops will let you put items into your own containers
5. check your bathroom. Opting for bamboo toothbrushes, shampoo and conditioner bars, instead of bottles and bars of soap are a good start
6. audit your garden. Try buying plants in biodegradable pots and reusing plastic ones, swap cuttings with friend and neighbours, use wooden seed trays or make your own from loo rolls or newspaper. Try making your own compost too

Reuse carrier bags

Plastic bags can take hundreds of years to break down and can end up as litter in our countryside, rivers or the sea, where they can pose a threat to wildlife. Animals can easily get entangled in plastic bags, or they may be mistaken for food.

Try to reduce the number of single use carrier bags you use by taking reusable and long-life bags each time when you shop. If you have a lot of single use bags at home you can recycle them in some supermarkets.