Finally, spring has finally sprung! Now the long, cold winter is over it’s time to emerge from your duvets, woolly scarves and hats and instead get out in your garden or start the inevitable spring clean out
It’s out with the old and in with the new, which is great for a fresh start, but not so great for our rubbish bins or our bank accounts. To avoid creating piles of avoidable waste or splashing out on a brand new wardrobe, garden or house makeover, make sure to follow our top tips for a zero waste Spring Clean:
1) Clothes Clothes should never end up in your rubbish bin! If you find yourself with clothes or textiles you no longer want, you can donate them to charity, swap with a friend, or – if they can’t be worn – recycle them. You even make some extra cash by selling your clothes at a local car boot sale, or save money by repairing your old clothes instead of buying brand new ones. Click here for basic repair tips for your clothes. Click here to find your nearest textiles recycling bank
2) Garden There’s a lot of waste associated with gardening – both garden waste and electronic waste. Check with your local council to see what your garden waste collection process is for your grass cuttings, leaves, plants, weeds and hedge clippings. You might also come back to some of your trusty electronic garden tools to find they don’t work anymore. Before binning them, why not see if you can repair them first? Have a search for a local reuse and/or repair organisation near you, where you might be able to save yourself some cash by repairing an item or buying a second hand replacement.
3) Furniture Fly-tipping is spoils your local landscape and makes local animals and wildlife vulnerable to choking or getting caught up on plastic materials. Avoid having to dump items by looking up your nearest household waste and recycling centre where you can take your old furniture, or order a bulky waste collection. You can also save money on a brand new item, by upcycling your furniture into a new, unique piece. Click here for upcycling ideas! Click here to find out where you can recycle a specific item
4) Electronics Electronic waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the UK. With the average person buying 3 new gadgets every year, it’s unsurprising that over 1 million tonnes of our gadgets are binned every year. So it’s really important to ask yourself a few questions before you upgrade an electronic item: 1) is my item broken? 2) Can I repair this item? 3) Can I buy my new item second hand? 4) How do I dispose of my old item correctly?
Click here to find out where you can recycle a specific electronic items
