Waste Prevention
Love food, hate waste!
We throw away one third of all the food we buy, which over a year accounts for 6.7 million tonnes of waste and is worth around £8 billion. Most of it is perfectly good food that could have been eaten, if only we had used it in time or not cooked as much. That's why Hackney Council are supporting the WRAP Love Food Hate Waste campaign. To find out more about what you can do to cut down on your food waste visit www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
Real nappies
Compost
Say no to junk mail
Shop smart
Give or take
Freecycle
Furniture reuse
Real Nappies
Why use real nappies?
Around 3% of waste in the UK comes from disposable nappies. This is equivalent to the weight of nearly 70,000 double decker buses each year. Real cotton nappies are easy to use, soft on the skin and don’t contain absorbent gels. Your local laundry service can collect dirty nappies and deliver clean ones to your home. Real nappies are cheaper, and could save you around £500 per baby if you wash your own.
Hackney Council offers a £54 voucher to residents who wish to use real cotton nappies, either to buy from participating businesses across London, or to get started with a nappy laundry service.
Parents can apply via the website at www.realnappiesforlondon.org.uk or via a form. To get an application form for the voucher, phone 020 7324 4709.
Laundry service
Residents can use their vouchers with the following nappy laundry services:
Nappy Ever After
www.nappyeverafter.co.uk
020 7383 5115
Number One for Nappies
07951 687 730
Real nappy support
The Hackney Real Nappy Network is a group of real nappy users who offer free advice, based on their own experience. To find out more, please visit www.hackneyrealnappy.net
Compost
Why make compost?
Up to 30% of what goes into an average household bin can be composted, reducing waste and creating a natural food for your garden.
Hackney Council provides a choice of heavily subsidised compost bins and wormeries, so residents can use their kitchen and garden waste to create compost. Residents can save up to 70% of the original retail price and the goods are delivered direct to your door.
To order, phone Original Organics on their free phone credit card hotline on 08000 85 80 88, or email sales@originalorganics.co.uk with your credit card details.
You can also request an order form by phoning the recycling hotline on 020 8356 6688.
Create the perfect compost by following these easy steps:
Step 1 – Getting started
Dig a shallow hole (one inch deep), equal to the diameter of your bin. If using wire mesh, cut a piece slightly larger than the base of your bin and place it over the hole. Place your bin on top. If you have to set your bin up on concrete, add a thin layer of soil to get it started. This will attract worms and other beneficial organisms.
Step 2 – Greens and browns
Great ingredients for composting include fruit and vegetable peelings, tea bags, plant trimmings and grass cuttings, known as ‘greens’. They rot quickly and provide important gases and moisture.
Other things to compost include cardboard, egg boxes, scrunched up paper and fallen leaves, these are known as ‘browns’ and rot slower. They provide fibre and carbon and allow air pockets to form in the mixture.
Step 3 – No thanks!
Some things should not be placed in your bin. No cooked vegetables or raw/cooked meat, and definitely no animal litter. These things will encourage unwanted pests.
Step 4 – Get the mix
Good compost relies on getting the mix right. Keep your greens and browns properly balanced. If your compost is too wet, add more browns. If it is too dry, add some greens. Making sure there is enough air in the mixture is important. Adding scrunched up cardboard is a simple way to create air pockets to keep your compost healthy.
Step 5 – Finished!
After approximately six to nine months your compost will be ready. Finished compost is a dark brown, soil-like layer that you will find at the bottom of your bin. Spread the finished product over your flowerbeds, this will improve the soil quality by retaining moisture and suppressing weeds.
For more information on composting, visit www.recyclenow.com/compost
Say no to junk mail
Hackney households receive approximately 35 million pieces of unwanted mail each year, which weighs 900 tonnes and takes 6,000 trees to create.
This pack was put together to dramatically reduce the amount of unwanted mail received by residents.
The pack is made up of the following:
- Instructions on how to sign up to the Mail Preference Service (MPS) online at www.mpsonline.org.uk.
- Residents who register can have their name and address removed from up to 95% of mailing lists.
- Royal Mail ‘Opt Out’ card – fill this in and return it, to stop unaddressed junk mail.
- No Junk Mail sticker – Place this on their letterbox to stop receiving flyers and leaflets through their door. This does not affect your delivery of Hackney Today!
- The ‘Say No To Junk Mail’ pack is available for all Hackney residents by request, phone the recycling hotline on 020 8356 6688 for your pack.
Shop Smart
SMART = Save Money And Reduce Trash
Smarter, more sustainable shopping practices will help reduce waste and could save you money as well.
It’s really easy, it doesn’t take any extra time, and can make a real difference!
How can I reduce my household waste?
- Always take reusable bags with you when you go shopping, and say no to plastic bags.
- Avoid buying over packaged food and products.
- Choose packaging that can be recycled, better still, look out for packaging made from recycled products.
- Freeze your home cooking in reusable containers, rather than buying over packaged convenience food.
- Buy in bulk. You’ll get more product in less packaging, and it often works out a lot cheaper.
- Buy a water filter, and refill your bottles instead of buying bottled water. This will reduce waste and save you money.
- Don’t buy disposable items like razors, cameras and pens. Choose reusable ones.
- Try to buy products made from recycled or part recycled materials.
- Buy high quality, durable products. They may be more expensive initially, but you’ll save money long term.
- Look out for energy efficient, rechargeable products like light bulbs and batteries.
- Try to repair things before buying replacements.
- Join a library instead of buying books.
- Join an organic box scheme. Enjoy quality produce delivered in minimal packaging.
Give or take
What are Give or Take days?
Give or take is a way of getting rid of items that you don't need, and taking items you do. Give or Take days provide a great opportunity to reuse in Hackney.
How does it work?
Simply turn up on the day with items that you want to give, or come along and take what you need. You don’t have to give something to take something.
What sort of items can I give or take?
You can give or take just about anything: garden and household items like books and toys, bikes, tools, kitchenware, clothes, bric-a-brac, plants, furniture and small electrical items.*
*No large electric items like fridges or washing machines can be accepted. All electrical goods will be safety tested on the day.
When are they held?
Give or take days are held by Hackney Council four times a year. Look out for details in Hackney Today or under the events section of the recycling page.
Alternatively, if you are interested in receiving information regarding future give or take days, please email recycling@hackney.gov.uk to be added to the mailing list, or phone the recycling hotline on 020 8356 6688.
Freecycle
What is Freecycle?
The Freecycle network is made up of over 3,600 Freecycle groups in over 50 countries worldwide, with around 2.5 million members. It's a grassroots and entirely non profit movement of people who are giving, and receiving, items for free in their own town or borough. The network provides individuals and non profit organisations with an electronic forum to ‘recycle’ unwanted items.
Who can join?
The Hackney Freecycle group is open to anyone who wants to reuse something rather than throw it away. Whether it's a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old bed, you can post the details on the website. Or maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself. Not for profit groups are also welcome to participate.
How does it work?
When you find yourself with items you don’t need anymore, but that are too good to throw away, you simply send an email offering it to members of the Hackney Freecycle group. If you're looking to acquire something yourself, simply respond to a member's offer, and you just might get it. After that, it's up to the giver to decide who receives the item and to arrange a pickup time for passing on the item.
One rule: Everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages.
How do I sign up?
Membership is free. To sign up in Hackney, email hackney_freecyclesubscribe@yahoogroups.com, or visit www.groups.yahoo.com/group/hackney_freecycle
or
Furniture reuse
For more information please visit the Furniture Reuse Project page.
Page updated: 14 Oct 2008