Help Reduce your Waste!

In County Durham alone we produce enough household waste every year to fill Durham Cathedral 5 times over!

Recycling helps to reduce this burden but this is only part of the solution. To deal with waste in the most sensible and effective manner we must look at reducing the waste we produce in the first place. Waste minimisation is the prevention or reduction of waste in the home. You can help to reduce waste by the following methods:

Home Composting

For further information on the fantastic home composting promotion please visit our Countywide Composting Promotion page.

Junk Mail

Want to get rid of all that junk mail that clogs up your letterbox every morning? You can stop it by finding out about our Countywide junk mail campaign junk mail campaign.

Real Nappies

Sign up to "Durham Happy Nappies" - County Durham's nappy laundering service. For further information please see information about our Real Nappy Laundering Service.

Donate Unwanted Items

If you have unwanted items, please donate them to a local charity.

Alternatively you could post your item on one of the following web sites. By registering free you can post items you no longer want so that other members who do want them, can take them off your hands.

• Dont Dump That
• Free 2 Collect
• eFreeko.co.uk

You could also try selling your item on Ebay.

Choose 2 Reuse Guide

We have produced a Choose 2 Reuse Guide to help you get more out of your waste.

Top Tips for Reducing Waste

• Avoid disposable batteries - use rechargeable ones.
• Refuse plastic carrier bags - use a cotton one instead.
• Buy loose fruit and veg from a local market or grocer rather than highly-packaged goods- it can be cheaper too.
• Buy cotton cloths for the kitchen clean-up instead of disposable kitchen roll.
• Buy refills for sturdy packs of washing powders, liquids, salt, etc.
• Use a milk delivery service - the glass bottle kind - if there's one in your area.
• If you do print, use both sides of the paper.
• Don't throw away old computers - sell them online at Ebay or donate them by reusing and recycling other wastes to charity.
• Making your own lunch instead of buying from a sandwich shop saves on packaging, and could also save you more than £4 a day or about £1,000 a year.
• Avoid single-use cameras.
• Hire videos and DVDs, and borrow books from a library rather than buying them.
• Give cinema or concert as gifts instead of disposable goods.
• Clearing out the attic? Try selling your stuff rather than taking it to the dump. Check out online auction sites like Ebay or donate to charity
• Try reclamation yards, skips, auctions, and second-hand shops when doing DIY. Mend, re-upholster, or restore old furniture before buying new.
• Hire tools or borrow from friends or family for odd jobs, rather than buying your own.