WASTE

What’s the problem?

As the world’s population grows and countries become more developed, the volume of  waste we produce is rising out of control. This has a significant effect on humanity, wildlife and the environment. The UK shipped 7,133 metric tonnes of waste to non-OECD countries -- including Malaysia, Pakistan, Vietnam, Indonesia and Turkey -- in September 2020 alone.

Governments and local councils are expanding recycling facilities -- Three Rivers residents recycle 64.1% of their waste, currently the highest recycling rate in England. But many materials can’t be recycled and the world’s natural resources are dwindling. Our focus needs to move to using less and repairing when possible.

What can I do?

Recycle

  • Use your recycling bins wherever possible. Make sure you rinse and wipe but no need for items to be spotless. To save water, use the end of your washing up water or put in the dishwasher 

  • Three Rivers District Council has lots of info on how to recycle different products

Reduce

  • Buy things that are well made and will last

  • Buy second hand from charity shops and use re-use apps like Freecycle and Olio 

  • Take your own shopping bag so you don’t need to use plastic carrier bags -- buy jute or cloth and not plastic!

  • Disposable nappies are bulky and difficult to dispose of. Try using reusable washable nappies instead

  • Use rechargeable batteries

  • Buying in bulk helps reduce the amount of packaging (and lots of trips to the shops)

  • Reduce your food waste. Use up odds and ends in soups etc and put fruit and vegetable peelings in your home compost bin. Any other food scraps can go in your brown food caddy. Random Cafe in Watford helps local residents reduce food waste and campaigns to make our food system fairer and more sustainable.

Refuse

  • Don’t buy things you don’t need

  • Avoid disposable products designed to be thrown away

  • Think about knitting or crocheting rather than buying more fast fashion

  • Don’t buy over-packaged goods

  • Demand recyclable packaging from retailers big and small

  • Pause before you buy online -- is there a local alternative?

  • Boycott unethical suppliers. Ethical Consumer’s Boycotts List makes for interesting reading...  

Reuse

  • Lots of things can be reused. If you can’t reuse them yourself try to find someone else who can.

  • Jam-jars and bottles: if you don’t make jam, find someone who does. They can also be used for storage

  • Plastic carrier bags can be reused several times as shopping bags or to take items to be reused/recycled and can be used as bin liners

  • Old clothes, books, toys, unwanted gifts and household goods are easy to reuse, give them to a jumble sale or a charity shop. Local charity 9 Lives Furniture is a great local upcycler and will collect from your home 

  • Learn more about donating old clothes and sustainable fashion here.

Repair

  • Why not think about repairing all small items -- darning your socks can be really satisfying! There are lots of tutorials on YouTube...

  • Electrical items can be repaired, too. In some places special schemes have been set up which create work for people by collecting and refurbishing second-hand electrical equipment and furniture

  • Renting or buying second-hand helps prevent more materials being produced and protects the planet from excess waste once the item is thrown away

  • The new Right to Repair Law in the UK is meant to help reduce waste and allow consumers to repair their appliances instead of buying new ones

  • Repair Cafes are becoming more popular — there are cafes due to launch soon in St Albans, Chesham and Berkhamsted. We hope to have one in Three Rivers by 2022 — watch this space!

Refill

  • Buy refill packs when possible, which use less packaging

  • Buy things in returnable containers and return the containers once empty

  • Buy from your nearest refill shop -- The Green Stores in Croxley Green is a very popular zero-waste shop. Take along your old containers or buy them at the shop

Tips For Avoiding Food Waste

Our planet has limited natural resources, which we are currently using at an unsustainable rate. If everyone on the planet lived and consumed as we do in the UK, we would need 2.8 Earths. We are living beyond what is sustainable for our earth to cope with! 

We only have one home! We can all reduce our consumption to help protect our planet, for ourselves and our future generations.

Reducing Our Food Consumption and What We Put In The Bin!

You may be surprised to learn that the average family could save up to £700 per year by cutting food waste. 1/3 of all food goes to waste; that’s enough food to feed everyone on the planet. Let’s work together to cut food waste now! It’s easy to make a few small changes and reduce the amount we are throwing away....

Here are some tips to help you make the most of the food you buy, saving you money and helping our planet:

  • Checking your fridge and cupboard before going shopping ,and planning your meals in advance, can help you to only buy the food you know you will eat.

  • Try to shop locally, and reduce your trips to large supermarkets. Astonishingly, the average person in the UK makes 221 trips to the supermarket every year! (Ethical Consumer).

  • Try to buy fresh ingredients for tasty, home-cooked meals, rather than buying ultra- processed packaged food.  Not only is this far healthier, but it generally lasts longer as well and gives you more options for using up any leftovers.

  • Buy wonky/less than perfect fruit and veg rather than the much more expensive ‘perfect’ sort. Much cheaper and tastes just as good!

  • Avoid special offers - It's not a bargain if it ends up in the bin! They can be a disaster in terms of food waste as well as for your waistline!   

  • You can freeze most foods, so if it's nearing the end of its’ use by date, portion it up and freeze it!

  • Buy freshly baked bread rather than packaged alternatives.  Fresh bread goes hard but can still be used after a few days (e.g. bread crumbs), whereas packaged goes mouldy.

  • Remember there’s a difference between ‘Use By’ and ‘Best Before’ dates.  Do not eat food beyond its Use By date for safety reasons, but Best Before Dates refer to quality.  Most foods will last well beyond this, so use your judgement on whether it’s edible.

  • When you buy your shopping, organise your fridge so the things going off first are at the front.

  • Remember to keep your fridge below 5 degrees so that your food stays fresh longer. 

  • When food shopping, ordering takeaway, or at a restaurant: We know there is so much temptation, but save money by not ordering more food than you can eat! 

  • If you have any food that can’t be eaten, be sure to put all food into your food caddy supplied by TRDC. No food should go in your waste bin! 

  • TRDC will accept loose food in the caddy - it doesn’t need to be wrapped and you don’t need to buy special liners. 

  • If your food is packaged in flexible soft plastic, wash it and take it to either the Coop or Tesco. Both stores now collect and recycle all soft plastic. 

If you don’t have a home compost, join the cool composters! You can buy compost bins really cheaply. Then you can compost all your veg and fruit peelings and make free compost for your garden!

 Food Waste Action Week is happening during the 7-13 March 2022. Join WRAP in their week of action, working together to halve our food waste. For more ideas, check out the 'Love Food, Hate Waste' and Sustainable Three Rivers websites.

Additional Facts

  • Food waste contributes to a huge percentage of waste materials put into refuse bins in every area. 

  • 40% of groceries in the UK are sold on promotion and one in three UK shoppers impulse buy unhealthy food items because they’re on special offer (Royal Soc for Public Health)

  • Ultra-processed food now accounts for 50% of food purchases. We buy more of this than any other country in Europe (Public Health Nutrition 2017)

  • 20% of us now have a takeaway meal once a week or more - and often the leftover food and packaging is thrown straight into the refuse bin.