6 June 2017

World Environment Day - Reducing Waste



Yesterday was World Environment Day and although this years theme is all about being one #WithNature I thought I'd write a little post on reducing waste. I'm sure there's things we can all think of to reduce our waste and thus reducing environmental impact especially on nature. It's a big world but it's slowly filling up so we really need to start looking after it.

Here are some of my suggestions on reducing waste and helping nature along the way.

Disposable Cups
It's estimated that around 2.5 billion paper cups are discarded in the UK every year. That honestly shocked me when I read it. It's a crazy number and we should really all know better. When I'm at home I use ceramic mugs for teas and coffee but at work I always go for a disposable paper cup. I think it's about time I changed my ways and tried to convert my colleagues to a reusable mug of some sort. This really is one of the easiest things we can all do and is a step in the right direction to reducing waste.

Reusing Paper
I'm sometimes terrible at only using one side of a piece of paper before throwing it in the recycle bin. I should really be using both sides and if there's any space left after that cut it down and use for lists. I'm big at making lists so this would be perfect. I've recently been making the kids use both side of an A4 sheet of paper when drawing and colouring. Then when that's finished we can use it to stick stickers on. Only then after it's totally done and the kids have had enough will I be putting in the recycle bin.

Clean Up
Recently I've seen a few people carry bags with them when out for a walk along beaches and in woods and they've been picking up litter as they go. How great an idea is that. Out for a walk with the kids or dog and it only takes a few minutes of your time to pick up a few items of rubbish on your way. This really does help the environment tons especially when you pick up nasty things like plastic.

Batteries
In the US 3 billion batteries are thrown away every year which is crazy! We should all try swapping to rechargeable if possible. My experience of rechargeable batteries has always been great. They charge quickly, hold a charge for longer and the actually battery can last years. I remember only having to change the rechargeable batteries in my sons baby monitor after 5 years of use because they just wouldn't charge anymore. And you've got to remember that these batteries were used almost 24hrs a day. Definitely something to think about swapping to.

Mail Recycling
Being a blogger you tend to get quite a lot of post with review items and goodies which means you also end up with tons of packaging. Some of the packaging you receive is really good so I've started keeping mine and recycling it for when I'm sending my own letters and parcels. Bubble wrap always comes in handy and padded envelopes can be used over and over. This is great for reducing waste but also saying pennies. Another fab tip is using junk mail to pad out fragile parcels. Just scrunch it up and shove it in there.

Clothes Clear Out
If like me and you've recently had a big clothes clear out then don't automatically think bin. I bet lots of the clothes if not most of them are in great condition and can be used by someone else. I tend to give a lot of our clothes away to neighbours, friends and family but it's worth remembering you can give them to local schools, nurseries and even childminders as they will be used again and again and again. I love knowing that our clothes are getting a new lease of life and not sitting in a landfill some where. Even if some clothes are quite tatty they can be cut up into cloths for house work or maybe you know someone in the building trade who would appreciate them as they'll get dirty anyway.

Cards
I've mentioned this before on another post but keeping old birthday and Christmas cards is a brilliant idea. You can cut them down to size for lovely unique gift tags and use the rest for crafting with the kids. I have very fond memories of being at my Grans and her pulling out all the old cards for us kids to craft with. We loved it and it kept us busy for hours. If you can't be bothered to do this yourself then why not pop them to your local school or nursery as they'll definitely use them for crafting.

So that's my top tips to help reduce waste and help mother nature at the same time. Do you have any fab tips you think people need to know? If you do then leave me a little comment below and I'll share the best on Twitter.

2 comments on "World Environment Day - Reducing Waste"

Sian - The Mama Story on 11 June 2017 at 22:51 said...

Ah I'm trying to reduce waste at the moment so this is really interesting. I've been trying to buy alternatives to plastic and to not buy things that have very limited use - disposable plastic things really (I'm looking at you, children's magazines with toys on the front!). #MMBC

The Breastest News on 14 June 2017 at 19:23 said...

You're so right Sian. Why do children's magazines have to sell them with those awful toys that break almost instantly!

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