There's lots of things you can do to help the environment by reducing and reusing your rubbish.
Food waste digesters & Home compost bins
Wasted food is a waste of money and should be avoided wherever possible. Food waste digesters & home composting are environmentally friendly options for the stuff that can't be avoided.
Discounted composters are available to Dudley residents via our Dudley Recycles website.
Love Food Hate Waste
Whether it’s the last few slices of bread or the pasta that was cooked for two but could have fed four! Here are some simple tips which could help you save money:
- Keep your apples in the fridge instead of the fruit bowl (they'll keep fresh for around two weeks longer)
- Weigh / measure rice and pasta before cooking. 1/4 of a mug of rice is sufficient for one adult.
- Checking dates saves money. Food can be eaten right up to a 'use-by' date or frozen. 'Best before' dates are for quality so there is no need to throw out food on the stated date - eggs being the exception.
Visit Love Food Hate Waste for more tips and advice.
Junk mail
The Mailing Preference Service
This is a free service to remove the registered person’s name from up to 95% of direct mail lists. Each individual living at the household needs to register and your registration will need to be renewed every 5 years
- Register online: Mailing Preference Service
- Telephone: 0845 703 4599
Royal Mail Opt-out
The Royal Mail provides a commercial door-to-door delivery service which is often used by organisations to send unaddressed mail, leaflets, etc. If you write to notify the Royal Mail that you do not wish to receive this service, you can be removed from the distribution list
The address to write to is:
Freepost RRBT-ZBXB-TTTS
Royal Mail
Door to Door Opt Outs
Kingsmead House
Oxpens Road
Oxford
OX1 1RX
Or you can email optout@royalmail.com
Write to companies
The actions detailed above will have no effect on direct mail sent to you by organisations with which you are an existing customer, or have previously been a customer. The only alternative is to contact the individual company or charity directly.
Bereavement register
If you are continually sent junk mail after asking a company not to, you can ask the Information Commissioner to investigate your case under the 1998 Data Protection Act.
Call: 01625 545 745
Write to:
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Real nappies
In Britain we throw away nearly 8 million disposable nappies each day. From birth to potty a baby typically gets through between 4,000 and 6,000 nappies.
Parents across Dudley are benefiting from an incentive scheme that’s helping them make the switch from disposables to washable nappies.
We are offering the incentive scheme to encourage parents to use the real nappies because they are more environmentally friendly. Under the scheme, parents living in the borough can claim £30 when they spend over £50 on washable nappies or accessories.
Reduce your waste at home
Mobile phones
These can be returned to most major mobile retailers. Some local schools and charity shops also collect old mobiles for recycling.
CDs
Each year over 21 million old CDs are thrown away in the UK. A new online service allows you to trade in your unwanted CDs for cash. Music Magpie pays between 25p and £3 for each CD sent in using its free service. Simply type or scan the barcode numbers from your old discs to see how much they’re worth.
Computer equipment
Think about upgrading before replacing. However, you can donate your defective or obsolete computer equipment to nearby not-for-profit organisations.
Please note that when getting rid of your old computer equipment you should ensure that you first remove and any personal information that you may have stored on them, such as photographs and letters.
Unwanted furniture
There are a number of community furniture reuse schemes in and around Dudley looking for good quality furniture and household goods. Some schemes can collect from your door (a nominal collection charge may apply) or you can arrange a drop off at their store at a convenient time. Some schemes also offer ethical house clearances for a nominal fee. All schemes listed are registered charities with proceeds going to good causes.
Milk deliveries
Support your local milk man and have your milk delivered in a reusable glass bottle rather than a disposable plastic one. Glass milk bottles are reused an average of 13 times.
Rechargeable batteries
These can be recharged 100s of times, saving both money and helping to reduce the amount of hazardous waste you produce.
Reduce your waste while shopping
Bags for life
British shoppers use up to twenty billion disposable plastic bags a year - that's around 335 per person. Most of the major supermarkets now offer bags for life which can be used again and again. When they finally need replacing, the supermarkets swap the old bag for a new one - free of charge.
Goods with less packaging
Buy your fruit and vegetables loose, avoiding polystyrene trays and plastic punnets. Think about signing up to a vegetable box delivery company. Many will aim to keep packaging to a minimum. They also try and source local, seasonal food.
Buy recycled
Items such as toilet paper, kitchen roll, writing paper, envelopes and bin liners can all be made from recycled content. Look for a recycling symbol with a percentage sign.
Buy big
Buy big and then decant into smaller, reusable containers. When you buy items like coffee, teabags, cereal, or washing powder in larger containers, the product to packaging ratio is much better. Make sure they’re items that aren’t going to go off before you use them.
Shopping for gifts
Consider giving ethical gifts that will provide real benefit to people in other countries, and won’t leave the birthday boy or girl with a mountain of rubbish. Water pumps, mosquito nets, goats and medication all make great gifts and can be donated through a number of different charities.
Broken electrical items
When expensive electrical items (such as white goods) stop working, many people assume that the item will need to be replaced.
The reality is that a simple repair of broken electrical items may be cost effective. In some instances the retailer who supplied the item may have a legal obligation to pay for the work.
Things to check
In the event that your electrical item has stopped working, follow these simple steps:
- Check the power supply, both at the plug and also at the trip switches (circuit breakers).
- Although unlikely to be the cause of the problem it’s worthwhile checking that the fuse within the plug hasn’t blown. This can be done relatively simply by replacing the fuse in the broken equipment with one of the same amperage. With most modern electrical items, you shouldn’t need to unscrew the plug to do this.
- Next, check if the item is under warranty and contact the manufacturer if it is. If the item isn’t covered by the standard warranty you may have some recourse under the Sale of Goods Act, which requires items to be ‘fit for purpose’. You will need to contact the retailer who sold the item specifically quoting the act.
- If you are unable to arrange a free-of-charge repair, it may be worthwhile contacting a local tradesperson for a free quote. The ‘fix-a-home’ scheme provides details of companies who are members of an approved scheme.