How little can you throw away in a week?
The Leader of Wealden District Council, Councillor Pam Doodes, is throwing down a challenge to residents... to throw away less landfill rubbish.
By following the Three Rs of good household management: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Councillor Doodes and her husband Peter have been able to get a week's landfill rubbish down in to just 250 grams... not enough to fill a carrier bag, let alone a wheelie bin.
"We are now just a household of two," said Cllr Doodes. "But once you start thinking before throwing away, it's amazing how little ends up in the rubbish bin. So much can be reused or put to a better alternative use." Cllr Doodes lives at Hooe which does not as yet enjoy the benefits of Wealden's CROWN kerbside recycling collection.
The average Wealden householder throws away 315 kg of waste a year. Out of this amount, only 30 per cent is recycled or composted. Many other authorities in the south east are now recycling over 40 per cent of their household waste.
"There is much we can all do to improve our recycling rates," said Cllr Doodes. "Up to 80 per cent of what we throw away is either reusable, recyclable or compostable. There are many recycling points and larger Household Waste Recycling sites around Wealden where you can drop off a wide range of recyclables.
Comparative statistics produced by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show that households in other parts of the south east throw away less rubbish than Wealden - householders in some districts are throwing away up to 100 kg less waste per person a year.
"The best way to start cutting down on the amount of landfill rubbish you throw away is to take home less rubbish to begin with. When out shopping, ask to leave any unnecessary packaging at the store.. .and take your own shopping basket with you rather than expect to be provided with carrier bags wherever you go. And if you cannot avoid taking some packaging home, look for other ways of re-using it before getting rid of it ."
If you can do better than the Leader of Wealden District Council in reducing your weekly landfill waste, please give our recycling team a ring on 01892 602626 or email recycling@wealden.gov.uk and share with us your Reduce, Reuse and Recycling tips.
