Firstly, do not throw items in the rubbish to go to landfill before you have checked out all the 8 R’s of recycling:-
Rethink | ||||||
Regift | Repair | |||||
Reduce | Reuse | |||||
Recover | Refuse | |||||
Recycle |
Don’t fancy keeping things? Before you ditch anything consider if others would like it and you could take to a charity shop or resale locally. Consider your items trash? See whether the item can be recycled through kerbside recycling or by taking it to the recycling centres at Reading Smallmead or Bracknell Longshot Lane, Bracknell. The re3 website gives the latest information on all this. If you used the “re3 wheel” in the past you’ll find it’s now been replaced by the “Scrapp” app for mobile devices which you can download instead.
Consider improving your recycling efforts. Why not set yourself up a simple recycling system in your home. Have a waste bin, a bin for kerbside recycling, a compost bucket and a container for other recyclables. In Wokingham Borough Council kerbside recycling will take:
- Aerosols
- All food tins and drinks cans
- Paper and card including window envelopes –
shredded paper should be put in envelopes or cardboard boxes - Plastic bottles, with or without lids
- Broken down cardboard which must fit in the green recycling bags
- Tubs (Ice cream and margarine)
- Clear & coloured plastic food trays (e.g. cakes, meat or
punnet containers), but not BLACK ones. - Cosmetic pots and tubs (made with flexible plastic)
- Cartons or tetrapaks (milk, soup or juice) – all
without lids - Clean foil and foil trays
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
Why not think about saving some of your Christmas items from one year to another? Box items up and pop in a cupboard or the loft until next year. Mark on the box the contents so before you go out shopping next year you can see what you already have.
Be pedantic about your recycling – think about every item and whether it / or part of it could be recycled. Tubes from wrapping paper, toilet rolls, kitchen rolls, used envelopes, junk mail, etc. For other items of recycling check out our recycling guide.
Have you every really considered your stuff? From the natural resources, production, to our consumerism and our stuff and our waste. Watch ‘the story of stuff’.
Now you’ve tidied how to clean without using harsh or toxic chemicals. Natural cleaning agents arguably are “kinder” to the environment too. Use natural products like vinegar, lemon juice, and baking soda. Why not exchange your kitchen paper towels for reusable rags made from old towels, tea towels, or from old t-shirts or try newspaper to clean your windows.
Windows /Mirrors:- Equal parts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle, spray on mirrors or windows and clean with lint free cloth or newspaper.
Floors:- Mix four cups of distilled vinegar and gallon of hot water with a couple of drops of essential oils mop onto the floor. The smell of vinegar will quickly disappear leaving behind clean floors with the smell of your essential oils.
Consider swapping your single use mop for a re-useable mop head and bucket.
Tiles and work surfaces:- Mix two parts of vinegar to one part of baking soda and four parts of water, apply with sponge, or rag and then wipe away.
Mould / Mildew:- wipe over with white vinegar.
If you are not sure on using these then there are lots of different eco-friendly cleaning products now available on the market. Or if you pop to Wokingham Market on Friday or Saturday try Maya’s Refillables, in Woodley market on the 3rd Wednesday of the month too.
This year / decade consider going paperless using electronic correspondence. Instead of ploughing through piles of paperwork consider getting your statements, newsletters and receipts paperless by email. This will also help to keep your desk / office tidy.
Share your ideas with the group – email us just click here! Remember to look at the St James Eco Church page on Facebook.