Food waste contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and wastes the water and other resources it takes to grow the food. While the average consumer is not a major environmental polluter in comparison to large corporations, finding ways to minimise food waste throughout the day will help to prevent you from contributing to the problem.

At a household level, there are a multitude of reasons for food being wasted, from bad shopping behaviours to preparing too much food, and even a lack of knowledge about the detrimental impacts of food waste. 

So, what can you do to tackle this issue? In this guide, we’re sharing some tips on how you can reduce food waste. 

1. Plan your meals

A little planning, prep will have a big impact on reducing your food waste. Before going shopping, think of the meals you want to prepare for the following week. Check what items you’ve got already, then make a list of items you still need. Once you are in the shop, stick to the list.  

2. Grow your own

Growing your own herbs or vegetables isn’t as daunting as you think. Start small with basil or chillies if you like, and get a feel for it. There are plenty of things you can grow on your windowsill, or with only a small amount of space. Tomatoes don’t take up much room, or you can even grow strawberries in a hanging basket. 

Growing and tending your own food tends to give you more of an appreciation of the time and effort farmers put into getting crops to your table – and it saves money.

3. Create some compost

There are clearly some bits of food that you can’t or don’t want to eat, such as some vegetable peelings, core, pips or stalks. Compositing is a fantastic way to keep food out of landfill – disposing of London’s food waste costs waste authorities over £50 million each year). You can invest in a countertop compost bin and a small scale composter. 

4. Discover food waste apps

Food sharing apps are growing. These match people with food to give away to people who want it. Imagine you’ve got food leftover after a dinner party and are off on holiday and won’t get through everything. 

Instead of throwing the food away, you can offer it on an app like Olio, and someone will collect it. Too Good To Go connects hungry diners with cafes and restaurants that have food leftover at the end of the day. They sell all their food, and you get great food at a discounted price. What’s more, not only do these apps reduce waste, they also help rebuild communities too. 

Every day UK households throw away approximately:

20 million slices of bread

4.4 million potatoes

0.9 million bananas

1.2 million tomatoes

0.7 million oranges

0.8 million apples

2.7 million carrots

1 million onions

86,000 lettuces

3.1 illion glasses worth of milk

Source

5. Understand date labels

Many people throw away food that has reached its best before date, but this can lead to unnecessary waste. The only date you need to adhere to for safety reasons is the use-by date. You’ll see the use-by date on some meat products and ready-prepared salads.

The best before date is simply a guideline and is not related to safety. All it means is that after that date, the food may change colour, taste or texture, but it is perfectly safe to eat.

6. Revive food that’s on its way out

In many cases, you can revive or use food that is on its way out or starting to spoil. Those brown bananas? Peel them and put them in the freezer for smoothies. Wilted lettuce? Try putting it in a bowl of cold water until it gets crisp again.

7. Freeze it

When it comes to food waste, your freezer is a very effective tool. Not only can you freeze leftovers for another day, you can also freeze food that you might not use up in time to give them a new lease of life! 

8. Track your trash

We recommended keeping a notebook in the kitchen and writing down items that go bad and are thrown away. You might be shocked after a few weeks when you see trends that you can start to address and correct. If that bunch of bananas is spoiling every week and getting thrown in the garbage by the end of the week, consider buying less when you shop, or slicing those bananas and freezing them for smoothies before they spoil. 

9. Store your food properly 

If food is not stored or handled properly, food spoilage can occur much faster. The easiest way to avoid food waste is to store your produce in ways that can preserve freshness. 

If you have extra fruits and veggies, freeze or preserve them so you can savour them for weeks and months to come. If you only eat a small amount of bread, freeze the loaf when you get home from the store and take out a few slices a couple of hours before you need them. 

Always store bananas, apples and tomatoes by themselves, since these items emit natural gases that can spoil any produce around them. Foods like broccoli, cauliflower and celery stalks should be eaten first. For items like berries, wait to wash them until right before you eat them to prevent mould. 

10. Donate a plate

Donate what you know you won’t eat. You can take items like tinned foods to your nearest food bank.

For help removing your waste removal – from domestic household waste to WEEE or rubble, get in touch.

Feature image photo by simon peel on Unsplash.

The post How To Reduce Food Waste first appeared on RecycleZone.

In the UK, household food waste collection is a public function and is carried out by local councils. Each household is entitled to waste collection and is automatically enrolled on the council’s collection routes.

However, businesses are not automatically provided a waste management service by the government. Businesses in the UK must secure their own waste collection contracts and may pick a waste management company like Recycle Zone, who can efficiently handle their food waste.

Difference between household and commercial waste 

Household waste

Household waste is solid waste which includes bottles, cans, clothing, compost, disposables, food packaging, food scraps, newspapers, garden trimmings. 

Dealing with your household waste is fairly simple. Local councils have a legal duty under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to collect your household waste, – the cost is incorporated into your yearly council tax charges. The council will usually provide you with two bins, one for general waste and one for recycled waste. They are initially provided free of charge and are collected on a set schedule. 

Business Waste

Commercial or business waste, on the other hand, is defined as any waste produced from a commercial operation including waste from food, packaging, documents, works or repairs, alterations, construction, improvements or demolition.

Unlike household waste, your local council will not automatically collect your business waste for you. In fact, dealing with commercial waste is a lot more complicated to manage. It is law in the UK for businesses to take responsibility and manage their waste effectively. Businesses are also required by law to enter into a contract with a licenced waste carrier to collect and dispose of their wasted food.

There are multiple ways food from households and businesses are disposed of, not just landfill. Food can be composted to produce fertile soil, it can be fed to animals, or used to produce energy.

Landfill 

Depositing food waste in landfill sites causes many problems. One of the core issues is that food rots and creates horrendous odours which attract vermin. But it can also directly cause greenhouse gas emissions like methane.

Animal Feed

A lot of food including meats, fish and crops are thrown into landfill when they can actually be used for animal consumption. For example, grains, bread and cereals can be used to feed chickens on farms.

Composting 

Biological waste can be biodegraded by composting and reused to fertilise the soil. Composting is an aerobic process completed by microorganisms where bacteria breaks down food waste into simple organic materials which can then be used in soil. Plus it does not produce methane gas. 

In-vessel composting involves combining food and garden waste and using a tunnel or vessel to compost it in around six to eight weeks. Temperatures in these composting vessels reach up to 70 degrees Celsius to kill any harmful microbes. Typically, after one to three months of maturing, it can be used as compost, a soil conditioner.

Energy

Anaerobic digestion is an advanced and environmentally friendly way to treat food waste. During this process, microorganisms are used to break down food waste inside an enclosed tank in the absence of oxygen. As this happens, it releases biogas, which can be used to go into the gas grid or generate electricity, heat and transport fuel. It also creates fertiliser which can be used in farming. 

Commercial Liquid Food Waste

Businesses such as restaurants produce masses of conventional food waste. But they also produce food waste in the form of wastewater coming from sinks, dishwashers and floor drains. This wastewater is collected in holding tanks (grease interceptions) to minimise the amount of grease which makes it to the sewers. 

This wastewater contains both organic and inorganic matter such as cleaning chemicals as well as fats, oils, and grease, it is referred to as ‘brown grease’ whereas ‘yellow grease’ is fryer oil that is easily collected and processed into biodiesel. This ‘brown grease’ is a significant problem for our sewer systems. The grease causes severe blockages and overflowing. 

Our waste removal service in 3 easy steps:

1. Order your waste clearance service via our online booking portal.

2. We will come to your property and collect your waste.

3. We will dispose of your waste at the appropriate locations – ensuring everything is recycled where possible.

Get in touch if you require more information, or would like a free no-obligation quote.

Feature image photo by Sarah Chai / Pexels.

The post What Happens To Food Waste? first appeared on RecycleZone.

However, public awareness of the importance of waste management is rising due to the growing concern over environmental and climate issues, and fortunately, the UK has taken huge strides in combating the waste pile increasing year after year. 

In the UK, waste collection is supported by an efficient (made up of mostly private companies) service system, whereas local government authorities enjoy a certain degree of independence, and can offer solutions to specific local needs. So, let’s unpack what general waste is.

What is General Waste?

General waste, also called residual waste, is material that is produced by businesses and households that cannot be recycled. It includes materials such as non-recyclable plastics, polythene, some packaging and kitchen scraps. 

In the past, this waste had been disposed of at landfill sites and some general waste is still disposed of in this way. But advances in technology now mean that there are numerous alternative ways of dealing with general waste, which can ensure that value – usually in the form of energy – is recovered from it. 

Each individual property is entitled to present one general waste bin for collection on the relevant collection day. 

Materials you should place in your general waste bin are:

• Tissues, napkins and kitchen towels
• Polystyrene and polythene
• Carrier bags
• Soiled fast food containers, pizza  boxes and sweet wrappers
• Oil or fat from food preparation or cooking
• Cigarette ends
• Cat litter, animal faeces
• Nappies 
• Bedding
• Broken crockery or glasses
• Cotton wool and buds
• Contents of your vacuum cleaner 

What can’t go in your general waste bin:

• Medical caste
• Paint cans, motor oil, wax or petroleum
• Rocks, bricks and gravel
• Electrical goods (WEEE)
• Hazardous waste 

What colour bin is general waste?

The general waste bin is usually either black or brown, but colours can vary across the UK. Check your local council’s website to make sure. 

What can I put in a general waste skip?

Skips are versatile containers that can hold many types of waste. However, due to legal restrictions, there are certain types of waste that can’t go into a skip. They need to be stored in different containers so that they can be collected and disposed of separately and safely and in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Here’s a list of what can go into a skip:

• Wood
• Plastics
• Metals
• Paper and cardboard
• Bricks
• Rubble
• Concrete
• Non-contaminated soil
• Garden waste

What can’t go in a general waste skip includes fridges and freezers, plasterboard, asbestos, tyres, batteries, fluorescent tubes or WEEE waste items, aerosols and gas canisters, oil, liquids, contaminated soil. 

Can you take general waste to the tip?

If you have household waste that cannot be disposed of with your regular collection, you can take it to a tip. These tips are also known as Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs).

Tips can accept a range of waste types, including bulky waste and electrical items. However, there are restrictions and charges for some types of waste, for example, plasterboard and asbestos.

What you can take to the tip without restrictions or charges:

• Aluminium
• Baths
• Batteries
• Bedding, quilts, pillows and sleeping bags
• Car batteries
• Cardboard
• Carpets
• Clothing
• Foil
• Fridges and freezers
• Furniture
• Garden waste
• Mobile phones
• Scrap metal
• Textiles
• Wallpaper
• Wood

Why choose our general waste collection service?

• Same day rubbish removal services
• Excellent customer service 
• Fully trusted and vetted team
• Reliable and hassle-free collections
• Waste carrier licence certified 
• No call out charge
• Free no-obligation junk clearance quotes offered

Be sure to contact our team for more information.

Feature image photo by manfredrichter / Pixabay.

The post What Is General Waste? first appeared on RecycleZone.

This includes transporting waste, as well as buying, selling and disposing of waste, whether that is yourself or arranging it on behalf of someone else. 

You can be fined up to £5,000 if you do not register, so click here to start the application process. 

Registration is normally free if you transport waste that you have produced yourself; otherwise, it will cost you £154. 

What do I need to register for a waste carriers licence? 

In order to register, you will need:

• Names and dates of births of the organisation’s owners, executives, partners and/or directors 
• Any environmental offences they have committed 
• An appropriate payment method (debit or credit card)

Once registered, you will appear on the official list of registered waste carriers, brokers and dealers. Your customers can then check that you have the correct licences in place. 

Renewing your waste carrier licence

As part of the registration process, you will be told whether your application is upper tier or lower tier. 

Your application will be considered lower tier if you:

• Carry waste that you have produced unless it is construction or demolition waste
• Carry, arrange or deal in animal by-products, waste from mines and quarries or agricultural processes
• Are a charity or volunteer organisation 

Lower tier organisations may also refer to a waste collection, disposal or regulation authority. 

If you do not meet any of the above criteria, then the chances are, your application will be considered an upper tier one. 

This will also include examples, such as:

• Transporting other people’s waste (e.g. a skip company)
• Carrying construction and/or demolition waste 
• Acting as a broker (i.e. arranging for waste for other businesses to be recovered, transported and/or disposed of)
• Working as a dealer (i.e. buying and selling waste, either yourself or through an agency)

If you or your business is upper tier, then you will need to renew your application every three years, at a cost of £105. 

If you or your business is lower tier, there is no requirement to renew your registration. 

How much does it cost to change your details on a waste carrier licence?

If any of the following details change, then you must inform the Environment Agency within 28 days of the changes: 

• Contact details (i.e. phone number(s), postal and email address(es))
• Management 
• Someone in your organisation is convicted of an environmental offence 
• Your organisation changes the type of work they do (i.e. you are a registered carrier, but then you become a broker and/or a dealer). 

It will cost you £40 to make any changes to your registration. 

Can I be required to make a new registration? 

You are legally required to make a new registration application if any of the following occur:

• Your business type legally changes (e.g. from a sole trader to a limited company)
• You change tier (i.e. from upper to lower or visa versa)

It will cost you £154 to make a new application. 

If you are unsure of what to do or have any questions, you should contact the Environment Agency. You will need to quote your registration number, which you can find on your registration letter or email, and will start with ‘CB’. 

Hire a professional company

If this sounds like a lot of hassle and additional stress, we have the solution for you. 

Here at RecycleZone, we are one of the largest rubbish removal companies in the UK and have a full waste carrier certified licence. Our fully vetted and trusted teams of professionals up and down the country are on hand to remove all kinds of junk, from heavy, unwanted appliances, to garden and domestic waste.  

No matter how big or small the job is, our team of experts are available at times to suit your convenience and budget at a time that suits you. We are available seven days a week for one-off rubbish collections as well as recurring waste collection services. 

To find out more about the services we can offer you, get in touch. We’ll be able to offer you a free no-obligation quote. 

Feature image photo by Jilbert Ebrahimi on Unsplash.

The post How Much Is A Waste Carriers Licence? first appeared on RecycleZone.

This applies to the transportation, disposal, buying and/or selling of waste, whether it is for yourself or on behalf of someone else. 

Once you have registered for your licence, your application and information will be made publicly available so that your customers can check your credentials before contacting you for waste removal services. 

Here at RecycleZone, we are full waste carrier licence certified, offering a high-quality rubbish removal service across the UK. Our dedicated team of professionals are on hand to collect your rubbish, whether it is domestic, office clearance or garden waste. 

What is a waste carrier licence? 

Over recent years, there has been an increase in tradespeople being fined for not having the appropriate licences when carrying and discarding rubbish. 

A waste carrier licence is a legal document required by the Environment Agency as an effort to reduce the environmental impact of waste, by ensuring that all businesses are authorised to transport and dispose of waste appropriately. 

If not appropriately disposed of, rubbish can harm the surrounding environment and human health. In order to discourage fly-tipping and poor waste management, people and companies who deal in waste are required to obtain a waste carrier licence. 

This applies to companies and to all commercial vehicles that transport, collect and dispose of rubbish of any kind, regardless of the amount or type. 

A waste carrier licence will contain the following information:

1. Your name/the name of your company 
2. What type of company you are registered as (carrier, dealer, broker) and whether you have an upper or lower tier licence
3. Your registration number 
4. Your registered address 
5. Your contact telephone number 
6. The date you registered for the licence 
7. The expiry date of your registration

What are the different types of waste carrier licences?

There are two tiers under the waste carrier licence (upper or lower tier), depending on the type of waste you are handling and dealing with. This can also impact the cost of obtaining a waste carrier licence.

Your application will be considered upper tier if you:

• Transport waste for other people 
• Deal with demolition or construction waste 
• Are a broker and arrange waste collection on behalf of a third party
• Buy and sell waste as a dealer 

Your application to be considered lower tier if you:

• Transport your own waste (providing it is not demolition or construction waste)
• Deal in animal by-products, mining waste or agricultural waste 
• Are a registered charity or voluntary organisation 

This may also apply if you are a waste collection, disposal or regulation authority. 

If you do not meet any of the above criteria, your application will likely be considered “upper tier”. 

The post What Does A Waste Carrier Licence Look Like? first appeared on RecycleZone.

Depending on what type of lawnmower you have will determine the best way to dispose of it. You might be thinking of hiring a skip and getting it sent to landfill. However, that is not necessarily the best option. This guide will help you dispose of your lawnmower as efficiently and safely as possible. 

How to dispose of a lawnmower

Disposing of a lawnmower yourself can be a stressful process, particularly as some areas have special rules for disposing of old lawnmowers due to environmental concerns. If you fail to dispose of your lawnmower correctly, this could land you in trouble either financially or legally. 

Whether your old lawnmower is being collected by a professional waste removal company, you are leaving it out for general waste collection or metal collectors, you should never leave your old lawnmower on the side of the road. Not only does this pose a risk to pedestrians and drivers in your neighbourhood, but it is also considered fly-tipping and you could be fined.

If this sounds like a lot of hassle, the easiest solution is to get a professional waste collection company to come and collect your old lawnmower instead. We offer a same day collection service across the UK for a variety of waste removal services, including WEEE waste collection, and we will ensure that you fully comply with the law in the most environmentally sensitive way possible. 

How to dispose of different types of lawnmower

Petrol lawnmowers

Petrol lawnmowers are suitable for scrap metal collection, but please make sure the petrol tank is completely empty first. Oil residues and fuel are bad for the disposal process and have a major environmental impact, as the oil can then enter the soil and filter through to contaminate ground water.

Push lawnmowers

Push mowers are generally made from metal and can be collected as scrap. Although if the grass collection box is made from plastic, this will need to be separated for disposal. 

Electric lawnmowers

Electric mowers are classified as WEEE waste (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment), which is essentially anything that requires a plug or battery to operate. This waste is considered too dangerous to dispose of in landfill as it often contains toxic chemicals, which can contaminate the surrounding environment, and must be disposed of separately.

In the UK, WEEE is heavily regulated by governmental legislation, which can be a legal minefield to navigate when disposing of your electrical waste. Heavy fines can also be imposed if you fail to dispose of your e-waste appropriately.

Who can collect my old lawnmower?

Deciding to get rid of your lawnmower is one thing, but figuring out how to do it in a responsible and legal way can be more challenging. 

Most local services will not collect lawnmowers, and not everyone has a vehicle to take one to a local recycling centre – and that’s even if they will take it. 

If you just want to get rid of your old lawnmower without the stress and hassle, your best option is to contact a professional rubbish removal company like us. We have a dedicated team of experts on hand to meet your rubbish removal needs. Our fully trusted and vetted team of professionals are on hand to offer a collection service that is reasonably priced, all day, every day. 

Our service ensures that you dispose of your lawnmower in the most eco-friendly way possible. We can take it away to a specialised service, which breaks it down into its plastic and metal components to be recycled – all stuff that you do not need to worry about doing yourself! 

At RecycleZone, we recycle 90% of the rubbish we collect, ensuring we fulfil a sustainable, environmentally-conscious practice.

How to find the best lawnmower collection service

We are one of the largest rubbish removal companies in the UK. Based in London, we have a dedicated team of experts up and down the country to collect your rubbish, including old lawnmowers. 

Our collection services are always carried out safely and efficiently. We are fully certified and licensed waste carriers, providing you with any compliance documents as soon as we leave the premises. 

We have the highest level of quality control – all of our vehicles are tracked, allowing us to provide a consistent and compliant waste removal service. 

The great thing is you don’t have to lift a finger – our team of professionals will do all the hard work for you. Our online booking service is easy to use and available 24/7, so don’t hesitate to contact us now for a free no-obligation quote. 

Feature image photo by Daniel Watson on Unsplash.

The post Can I Put A Lawnmower In A Skip? first appeared on RecycleZone.

When you are having a spring clean, or even moving house, you may find that you have piles of unwanted electrical items that you don’t know how to dispose of. Large things like refrigerators and washing machines as well as smaller items such as lighting systems can cause problems when trying to have a clear out. 

With technology, a new model comes out every year with adjusted specifications and boasting a whole range of the latest features. Suddenly, your old electronics seem outdated and behind-the-times so you decide to upgrade. Then the cycle repeats itself in a year’s time. 

This results in a growing pile of discarded tablets, computers and mobile phones that take up space in your home and are a menace to get rid of – you can’t just throw them in the bin and forget about them, there are legal guidelines and regulations stopping this.

What is Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)? 

To know how to get rid of these items effectively, you must first know what counts as an electrical good. To put it simply, WEEE waste includes items with either batteries or a plug. It includes goods like:

• IT equipment like laptops, computers and telephones
• Large white goods such as fridges, freezers, dishwashers and washing machines
• Smaller electrical items like kettles, irons and vacuum cleaners 
• Toys that use batteries like cars and games consoles
• Leisure items such as treadmills, radios and hot drink dispensers

These are things that many of us have in our homes, sometimes even multiples of them. It can seem like a daunting task when it is time to start getting rid of them – that’s why we have put together this brief guide on the options you have when disposing of your electrical goods. 

How to recycle electronics

The first thing you think to do when having a clear out is take everything straight to your local recycling centre, or tip, where you can get rid of everything in one swoop. Unfortunately, it is not always that simple when dealing with WEEE goods. 

All of these electrical items are too dangerous to be disposed of with other waste, due to the potentially hazardous chemicals that will be released. You need to take special care when getting rid of them. You need to thoroughly research every single item and categorise them based on aspects such as whether there are any circuit boards present, what internal wiring the product uses and the plastic components. 

Gov.uk details that these different electrical goods need to be disposed of in a specific manner to ensure no hazardous materials are released into the environment, often going by classification codes.

If the electronic contains persistent organic pollutants (POPs), they cannot be recycled and instead need to be destroyed. This can be done by a number of methods depending on the type of POPs, such as: 

• Physico-chemical treatment
• Incineration on land
• Using it as a fuel or another way to generate energy

A lot of WEEE waste will consist of toxic materials like lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium which are harmful to your local environment when they are disposed of incorrectly. They will contaminate any soil nearby as well as harm the surrounding wildlife. 

This can be incredibly difficult to do properly yourself, so it may be an idea to seek the help of a professional waste clearance team. It can take the worry from your shoulders to know that your WEEE items are being disposed of in a safe and lawful manner. 

How to remove personal data from devices 

Before disposing of any device such as a computer, laptop, mobile phone or tablet, you need to wipe all personal information from it. 

Think about what is on your phone right now. There are numerous numbers of family members, passwords to different shops, online banking details, and debit or credit card numbers. Not to mention photos, videos, and social media accounts. Now, would you like anyone having direct access to these? 

That is why it is so important to make sure you take off any saved passwords or other personal data before you dispose of your electronics. 

– Mobile phones

This exercise can be very simple for most mobile phones. Exact steps will differ on the model and type of mobile phone, but a simple guideline is:

1. Back up any wanted photos, videos or messages on your choice of storage (iCloud, Google Photos, etc.)
2. Sign out of any social media accounts, banking apps or other accounts you have saved on your phone
3. Go into settings and restore your device to factory settings – this will wipe any apps, search history or saved items 
4. Make sure you have deleted any data from the internal storage 
5. Take out your sim card and dispose of this separately 

– Computers and laptops

Similar to that of mobile phones, the first step to wiping your electronic devices is to save anything you wish to keep in another place, ideally online storage to help with ease of access. You can then log out of all applications or online websites, clear browsing data and saved passwords on your browsers, and restore to original settings. 

Popular Mechanics also advises you to also destroy the hard drive to be on the safe side, and they have a comprehensive guide on how to do so.  

Other options to get rid of electronics 

If your items are still in good and usable condition, then you may want to explore other options to get rid of them instead of direct disposal. Here are some other ways to declutter your space:

• Ask friends and family if they want them 
• Donate to a local charity shop
• Enquire at nearby schools or colleges to see whether they would be able to use your unwanted IT equipment 
• Make some money by selling these second-hand electronics to sites such as Cash Converters or CeX 

As with disposal, wiping any personal data from your goods is vital when giving them to a new home. 

Feature image credit: DAMRONG RATTANAPONG / Shutterstock

The post How to Dispose of Electronics first appeared on RecycleZone.

If you are lucky enough to have a garden, there is a good chance it is important to you to keep it in a tidy state. But keeping it up to your own standards can mean keeping on top of digging out dead plants, cutting long grass and getting rid of old furniture. Once you have rid your garden of these unsightly items, you may ask yourself how you can dispose of this waste. 

We have outlined ways for you to do this as efficiently and as cost-effective as possible – whether you choose to do it yourself, get in touch with your council or hire a professional clearance team. 

What counts as garden waste? 

Garden waste is exactly what it sounds like, rubbish that has come from your garden. This can either be through garden renovations or the general upkeep of it. But to give you an idea, these are some things that count as garden waste:

• Broken or unwanted garden furniture
• Grass and hedge clippings
• Dead plants or flowers
• Branches, bushes and leaves
• Wood from discarded decking, trees or fencing
• Soil and turf

This list is by no means exhaustive, but other examples of waste you may find in your garden could fall under other categories such as DIY rubbish (flooring and rubble) and therefore need to be disposed of in a different manner. 

Ways to dispose of your garden waste

– Collection from your local council 

Some councils are able to provide a service where they come to your home and collect your garden waste. They provide you with an extra bin specifically for garden waste and collect this regularly. The pricing usually includes an annual fee and a new customer set-up cost. 

You can search your postcode on the government website and it will direct you either to your local council’s own website or pages that will offer you more information on this collection service. 

– Professional garden waste clearance 

When the amount of waste seems too great to be able to deal with on your own, or you don’t want to pay for a year-round collection from the council, a professional team will be able to help you. 

One perk of this is that you don’t have to lift a finger. You can simply point the team in the direction of the waste you need removing and they will do the rest – the heavy lifting, the transportation and the disposal. 

Whether you have acres of land or just a modest-sized garden, an experienced team will be able to assist you. They can take away bulky furniture, piles of excess soil and dirt, trees and bushes, leaving you with the pristine garden of your dreams. 

– Hiring a skip for your garden rubbish 

If you have a large amount of garden waste then it may be a great idea to hire a skip to get rid of the bulk of it. You can choose from a variety of sizes depending on your needs. 

To maximise the use of your skip, you should follow these simple steps:

• Plan what is going in there before you start loading it – If you start throwing in your rubbish in any order then you may find you are not utilising the whole of the space. Start by putting waste at the bottom that can be easily compressed, so when you put heavier rubbish on top, it will push it down. 
• Don’t overfill your skip – There will be clear guides on the side of the skip where you can fill to. Make sure you don’t exceed these limits as most companies will refuse to pick your skip up once the time comes and you will face extra charges. 
• Place skip as close as possible to where your waste is – To save your arms and legs, try to organise the skip to go in an area that is close to where the main bulk of your waste is. By doing this, you are saving yourself from having to carry heavy items across your property. 

A few things to remember is that you need to organise space on your property to put the skip otherwise you will need to organise a permit to put it on a public road or path. 

Home solutions for garden waste

For smaller amounts of garden waste, you can explore the options of dealing with it at home. We recommended this to those who have larger gardens, as these solutions can often take up a lot of space. 

– Compost bins

An eco-friendly, cost-effective, and earth-conscious choice is to invest in a compost bin. You can put both garden and kitchen waste in there, such as fruit and vegetable peels, leaves, newspaper and grass clippings, which will then decompose into a fertiliser rich in nutrients. 

WRAP outlines that a compost bin is a great choice as it contributes towards lowering greenhouse gas emissions and also produces compost to be used elsewhere in your garden. 

– Incinerators 

Incinerators are a quick and effective way to get rid of garden waste in one go. You can keep one in your garden and put pulled weeds, grass, twigs, parts of hedges and other trimmings in it.

Bonfires are also an option and work well. It is legal to have one in your garden as long as they don’t cause a problem to your neighbours by becoming too large or producing too much smoke.

These two home solutions are a great way to dispose of garden waste, if you only have a small amount of it. For all bigger clearances and larger amounts of rubbish from your garden, it is easier to call in a professional waste removal team to do the hard work for you. 

Feature image credit: Ellyy / Shutterstock

The post How to Dispose of Garden Waste first appeared on RecycleZone.

After a renovation or just a spot of DIY, you may be looking at your excess cans of paint and wondering how to dispose of them. It is not as simple as just taking them to your nearest recycling centre or throwing them in your bin. 

Over the years of decorating, you may find that you have ended up with cans upon cans in your shed or garage that are just sitting there. You go to have a look and see that you have multiple shades of white along with creams, greens, and greys. 

After a while, the paint becomes unusable as it slowly starts to separate, dry out and change colours. So, the question of how to dispose of it becomes even more important. 

What not to do when disposing of paint 

When researching ways to get rid of your excess paint, it can be helpful to know what not to do. Disposing of it in an incorrect manner can bring about heavy fines and damages to your local environment. 

1. Pour it down the drain

Although many types of paint are perfectly safe to be used within your home and garden, the same does not apply to the environment. Paint is full of chemicals that can cause pollution and is harmful to local wildlife. 

Not only that, pouring paint down the drain can also damage your plumbing system. Most types of paints are flammable and, in some severe cases, can ignite the entire system. They also coat the inside of your pipes and obstruct the normal flow of water.

2. Put cans of paint in your bin

It may be tempting to just fling the unwanted cans of paint into your bin, but unfortunately, it is not as easy as this. Usual bin collection services from your local council will not be able to dispose of this liquid in their normal methods, slowing it down as a whole and maybe even causing further damage to the environment. 

3. Take liquid paint to your local disposal centre 

Similar to putting paint in your bins, most disposal centres within the UK do not accept liquid paint. With many of them, you are only able to take empty metal paint cans but you can always check in with your local centre to find out exactly what they do accept. 

What to do to safely dispose of paint

Now you know what you can’t do with your old paint pots, let’s move on to how you can dispose of them. We have researched the easiest ways you can get rid of these unwanted decorating supplies. 

1. Add hardener to make the paint become solid 

The reason why many household waste sites will not accept paint as liquid waste is not allowed in most landfill sites. Recycle Now advises you add a paint hardener or sawdust to your leftover paint to make it solid. This way, you can take it to the centre. 

Just make sure you puncture the paint with a knife or screwdriver to make sure it’s entirely solid before you take it. 

2. Give it to friends and family 

If you bought some paint to do some light retouches or just decorate a small area, you may be left with a can that is still nearly full once you are finished with it. But what you don’t want could benefit others close to you. 

To save them having to buy their own paint, you could give them your old cans to help them out. If it is a common colour such as white or light grey, chances are that they will be able to put them to good use.  

3. Donate it to charity 

Another option to give your unwanted paint a new purpose is to donate it to a scheme that reuses paint to brighten communities. Community RePaint is a project that redistributes paint to benefit families and charities. 

You can search your nearest drop off point to donate paint that is still in usable condition

How to dispose of empty paint cans 

If you have used all of the paint, but still have the empty cans to deal with, there are simple methods of disposal. Plastic paint tubs cannot be widely recycled but if they don’t have any paint in them, you can pop them straight into your household bin. 

Empty metal cans are widely accepted at recycling centres if they are dried out and completely empty of paint. To be certain of this, you can take the lid off the tin and allow it to dry out naturally before getting rid of it. 

You can also take the hassle out of discarding any type of paint by hiring a professional collection team. They will be able to take these unwanted cans off your hands and dispose of the paint in the most eco-friendly manner, giving you the peace of mind that it has all been taken care of. 

Feature image credit: D. Pimborough / Shutterstock

The post How to Dispose of Paint first appeared on RecycleZone.

However, even though the condition is very common amongst people who live alone, it is still somewhat of a taboo subject. Throughout this post we will tell you what exactly junk hoarding is and how you can beat it.

What is junk hoarding? 

We can all be prone to keeping things we don’t need, usually out of sentimentality. We often attach personal memories or emotions to objects which then makes it difficult to get rid of them. 

However, when this mindset transitions over to storing all sorts of junk around your household, it can become a problem. What started out as a general unwillingness to sort out through the rubbish can turn into a full-blown hoarding problem. 

Some people will see their homes turning into a dumping ground of rubbish and usual items which can inhibit their ability to live comfortably and happily in there. The job builds and builds until they can’t face sorting it out themselves, and then the sequence  just repeats itself. 

Junk hoarding can become a massive problem when the individual finds it is causing a negative impact on their living situation or health, results in stress or impacts their quality of life. But it is important to know that there is help available and they do not have to continue living in discomfort. 

Hoarding disorder

The NHS describes a hoarding disorder as storing an excessive amount of items and keeping them in a chaotic manner. This will usually result in the individual living amongst a large amount of clutter that is filled with goods that have little to no monetary value. 

A hoarding disorder is a very serious thing and can be hard to treat, mainly because those who suffer from it are too embarrassed and unwilling to seek help. However, it is important to find support as without any treatment, it is a problem unlikely to go away on its own. 

Why do some people hoard junk? 

– Physical health 

There are numerous reasons why somebody may start to hoard junk. Physical difficulties such as reduced mobility and old age will contribute to the problem, as it will make it hard to move around. 

When people find they can’t move as freely as they could before, it becomes tough to deal with the increasing amount of junk in their homes. Without any assistance, they won’t be able to tackle the piles of rubbish and so the cycle continues. 

– Mental health

One of the main reasons though is problems with mental health like severe depression and schizophrenia. Mental health charity, Mind, also outlines that hoarding can result from difficult experiences and memories which people find hard to express. 

Although it may not seem like it, hoarding can stem from perfectionism too. Individuals who hoard feel scared about making decisions or mistakes and so find it hard to plan ahead and get rid of their excess junk. 

– Learned habits 

Another reason for hoarding is the simple belief that it is normal. If you see your parents and other members of your family with houses that are full of junk, then it is nothing out of the ordinary for you. 

When people grow up in households with other hoarders, they are more likely to hoard junk themselves. It is a learned habit and one that can be hard to break. Studies have even been carried out that suggest shared genes that could contribute to hoarding. 

– How to beat junk hoarding 

If your junk hoarding is a result of a mental condition, then the first step to getting help is seeing your GP. A growing number of professionals are aware of the condition and will know the right treatment you need in order to overcome it. 

However, if the excess clutter in your home is due to decreased mobility or a recent injury that made it hard to clear up, there are simple ways to get your house clean and tidy. 

– Ask your friends and family for help

When it is difficult to tackle the junk by yourself, you could enlist the help of your friends and family. There’s a good chance that they would be willing to assist you in getting rid of the excess rubbish. 

– Hire a professional clearance team 

If you want to take away the stress of having to sort through the masses of junk yourself, then it is a great idea to hire a professional waste removal team. They will only take away what you tell them to so you don’t need to worry about other precious items going as well. 

They will carry out the service in an efficient and respectful manner and leave you with a tidy, comfortable and livable space.

Feature image credit: trekandshoot / Shutterstock

The post What Is Junk Hoarding and How to Beat it first appeared on RecycleZone.