Recycle for Moray
Reduce Reuse Recycle is the philosophy of the Recycling Team at Recycle For Moray. It is aimed at increasing knowledge and awareness towards waste and recycling, thereby empowering people to contribute towards more sustainable methods of waste disposal and resource use.
Reduce
Waste reduction is at the top of the Waste Hierarchy. Reducing waste involves making more efficient use of resources in day-to-day life, and therefore cutting down on waste in the first place. Everyday things that we can all do may include:
- Avoid buying products with unnecessary packaging e.g. buy loose fruit rather than pre-packed and put it straight into your trolley. You don't need that extra plastic bag!
- Repairing goods where possible rather than buying new ones and throwing out the old.
- Maximising use of objects such as carrier bags; use as few as possible at the supermarket by filling them as much as possible. "Bags for Life" are a good example of reducing consumption.
- Use of goods that minimise disposal e.g. wind-up radios, clocks, etc to avoid buying and disposing of batteries
Reuse
While we should all be trying to reduce our waste, it is inevitable that some will arise. Reusing materials in their current form is the second stage in the Waste Hierarchy as it does not require any re-processing and is a great way to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill. Methods may include:
- Writing on both sides of paper.
- Reuse old boxes for storage.
- Take old and already-used carrier bags to the supermarket to avoid using new ones.
- Don’t throw away old furniture or household goods to landfill. They may be old and no use to you but they could help those in poverty. Visit the Refuse Network to find out more.
- Extend the life of your unwanted household goods by putting them on freecycle to give other people the chance to use them.
- Donate unwanted furniture, IT equipment and clothes to shops and organisations that can refurbish and restore them for use.
- Use old yoghurt pots and other containers as receptacles to store pens, pins and other small items in.
- Use reusable nappies instead of disposable ones. Not only is this cheaper, but it is better for the environment. Visit the The Nappy Network for more information.
- Adopt a policy of buying recycled products where possible.
Recycle
Finally, if goods are to be disposed of, we have a number of facilities capable of accepting the materials where they will be stored, collected and transported in a safe and secure manner. These facilities include 5 staffed and 3 non staffed Recycling Centres which are capable of accepting a range of materials. There are also 50 Recycling Points which are capable of accepting paper/card, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles and containers and food/drink cans.
Details on how to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in Moray can be found at Zero Waste Scotland.