Reduce

Reducing the amount of waste we produce in the first place will have a big impact on how much waste we have to send to energy recovery.  Not only does reducing waste help the environment, often it can help save you money.

Quick ways to reduce your waste are:

1. Reduce single use
2. Composting and reduce food waste

Reduce single use

Some examples of single use plastic swaps you can make around the home:

In the bathroom:

• Soap bars / shampoo bars: A replacement to liquid soap which is often comes in plastic bottles.
• Reusable wipes: Washable wipes are an easy way to cut down on waste. They should never be flushed in the toilets as they damage the systems in the wastewater treatment plants. They are also a significant cause of marine litter and unless specified, they don't biodegrade.
• Bamboo toothbrush: They can be composted after use.
• Plastic free cotton buds
• Solid or homemade deodorant: Solid deodorants can be bought in zero-waste stores. Recipes for homemade deodorants can be found online.

In the kitchen:

• Reusable beeswax wrap: These are a reusable alternative for cling film and sandwich bags. Leftovers can be kept in reusable containers to reduce waste.
• Baking soda & vinegar: While we can find countless different cleaning products in supermarkets, each labelled for one specific task, you can do pretty much all your cleaning with a few basic ingredients. This is not only healthier; it will save you money and reduce your plastic waste.
• Washable sponge

Out and about:

Investing in the following products will help you reduce single use plastics. Don't forget to have them always in your bag!

• Reusable drinks bottle
• Reusable travel mug/thermos
• Reusable bags & produce bags
• Reusable lunchbox, cutlery and straw

Reduce food waste

Reducing your food waste is not only good for the environment, but it can also save money

Recent analysis of our waste in South Ayrshire has shown that food makes up roughly a third of what we throw away in our general rubbish bins.   This equates to 460,000 tonnes of food being thrown away by households in Scotland every year - enough to fill 184 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Even more concerning, 73% of this food was edible and meant for consumption.  

Due to recent legislation we no longer send waste to landfill.  It is now treated at an "Energy from Waste" facility by incineration.  Sending waste for incineration is expensive and whilst it can produce energy from food waste, the process is inefficient and comes at a significant environmental cost due to the harmful chemicals and pollutants created which can get into the air, water and food chain, and the process creates high CO2 emissions.

Financially, this waste costs about £1.3 billion per year or roughly £480 per household to dispose of.

Good Food Habits

Why not try including some simple food habits in your weekly routine?  It may help to remove a lot of the stress around shopping, planning, preparing and cooking food, saving you both time and money. 

We have partnered with Love Food Hate Waste Scotland where you can find lots of helpful hints, tips and guidance to help you get the greatest value from your food, making sure its eaten and not binned.

See https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/good-food-habits

NHS Healthy Weight App

The NHS Ayrshire and Arran Health Improvement Team have developed a Healthy Weight app which has lots of useful information on a wide range of health, including recipes, regular updates and new weekly contents.  You can download the app on your mobile phone using the QR codes opposite.

Real nappies & reusable sanitary products

Real nappies will help to reduce the amount of waste in your green bin. Disposable nappies take up a lot of space in your bin and end up in energy recovery which is bad for the environment.

Using real nappies will also save you money. You can save around £500, and even more if you use real nappies for your second or third child. The total cost of using real nappies can be up to half of buying disposable nappies.

There are also alternatives for reusable menstrual products. These include reusable cloth pads, menstrual cups or period pants. These products usually last for years, saving you money in the long run. To find out more visit www.trialperiod.scot.

National Blister Pack Recycling

Boots has rolled out a scheme nationwide that rewards customers for recycling their empty blister packs.  This is now available at over 800 stores across the UK.  All plaster packs, whether previously used to hold medications or vitamins and no matter which brand can be recycled using the scheme. For more information visit National Blister Pack Recycling Scheme

Composting at home

Zero Waste Scotland provide an easy guide to composting at home.

What to compost

Greens

• Cut flowers
• Egg shells
• Fruit scraps and vegetable peelings
• Garden and house plants
• Tea bags/leaves and coffee grounds
• Grass cuttings
• Annual weeds

Browns

• Bedding from pet cages
• Chopped garden prunings
• Hedge trimmings
• Hay and straw
• Shredded paper
• Torn cardboard
• Feathers
• Woodchippings and sawdust

For best results compost a 50/50 mix of greens and browns. For more information please visit Zero Waste Scotland or call the composting helpline on 0845 0760223.

What not to compost

• Meat and fish scraps
• Cooked food scraps
• Dog and cat litter
• Diseased plants and persistent weeds i.e. bind weed
• Coal or coke ash (small amount of wood ash is ok)
• Large unchopped woody branches
• Bones
• Dairy products
• Nappies
• Glass
• Plastic
• Metal