Guest Contributor: Anne Ryan (Farnesworth)

In this edition of Waste and Recycling News we welcome a guest contributor - resident Anne Ryan (Farnesworth) who got in touch to share her top tips for making the most out of old textiles. 

"I've always been interested in sewing, fashion and clothes. My Mum taught me to sew at an early age. She was also extremely thrifty. She never bought cleaning cloths - old towels and t-shirts were cut up instead. As for me, I would quite happily buy too many clothes, not fully wear them and then simply throw them away, or take them to the charity shops, with no real thought as to what happened to them then.

"Over the past two years, I have, like most of us, become a bit more conscious about waste and realised everyday decisions can have a huge impact on the environment. As a result I decided that I wanted to start living with a more eco-friendly intent and would make a conscious effort to start cutting waste. I quickly realised that by reducing what I consume, I could reduce the amount of waste I generated and reduce the amount of waste that ended up in the bin.

Clothes: "After an initial weeding out of clothes that no longer fitted and the dutiful trip to the charity shop, I decided not to buy any clothes for a year. This would make me start wearing what I already had, and only throw out things that were genuinely worn out. I began in January 2015, and so far I have only had a new pair of slippers, (given as a requested birthday present as my old ones were looking seriously sad.)

Household items: "Since then my shopping trips have been seriously reduced to food trips and household items that were really necessary. A trick my grandmother taught me when I was young, was to send me shopping for her instead of going herself. I was presented with a list and pretty much the correct money. That stopped her from being tempted.

Hoarding: "I have told myself that hoarding is wasteful, which has largely been created by a “just in case” mentality. You know, “I'll buy it just in case I might possibly one day need it and then have a backup, in case the first one doesn't work.” One really is enough.

Perfection: "Another lesson I have learnt is that wanting to achieve perfection is a sad excuse for purchasing more and wasting more. I have learnt to adopt a “that will do, and it will last a bit longer,” attitude instead.

The Result: "Seven months into my frugal spending year I have stepped off the consumer spending cycle and started wasting less. I don't know how much people normally spend on clothes, but I've saved enough money for another holiday and not put any textiles and shoes into my waste bin that were not worn out.

"I've started thinking out of the box, to recycle and reinvent what I already have. My first biggish project was to make myself a new birthday dress out of a duvet cover which had never been used, and lined it inside with a white cotton petticoat from a sheet (see photo attached). The necklace was my mother's and is at least sixty years old, and the sandals have now come out of the wardrobe (after ten years) and I've finally started wearing them.

In the last few months I have mended clothes, altered them, and restyled them to be a bit more modern, pinching lots of ideas from good internet sites like Pinterest. At the moment I'm in the process of restyling my old winter coat, by shortening it, and using the off cut to make a belt. In the pending pile are three embroidered tablecloths which have sat in my linen cupboard for so long that it's a wonder moths haven't got them. I intend to make blouses out of them, thus giving them a new lease of life by consuming these items in a different way. As for the remnants from my sewing projects, I have just discovered Furoshiki, the Japanese art of gift wrapping using fabric. As I already have a bag of offcuts of ribbon, lace, trimmings etc. my Christmas project will be to use my fabric waste to produce gift wrappings with a bit of unique style, and keep the dreaded Christmas paper pile from ending up in the dustbin.

Many thanks to Anne for sharing her story and providing tips for reducing waste around the home. Does anyone else have any top tips they want to share? Please get in touch and you could be our next guest contributor!

Our Cleaning Teams have been working hard across our neighbourhoods carrying out many deep cleans and neighbourhood improvements. Some highlights are below:

Sneinton: Nottingham City Council and Nottingham City Homes worked together to clear mounts, gardens and alleyways in target streets and removing 4.5 tonnes of rubbish. Local Councillors and Officers from the Council, Nottingham City Homes and Community Protection spent time talking to residents about how they can play their part in keeping the area clean.

Bulwell: Groups across Bulwell joined forces to help clean up the area around the River Leen as part of Bulwell's Day of Action. The groups spent the morning litter picking the bank areas around the river and the pathways. As well as removing litter, five shopping trolleys were cleared from the River.  

Aspley: Nottingham City Council and Nottingham City Homes held a one week clean up in target streets in the area so residents could dispose of house and garden rubbish that they needed to get rid of.

Bulwell Forest: Deep Cleaning drying areas around Deptford Crescent.

Wollaton: Fantastic work by our Cleaning Teams and Apprentices clearing Wollaton Park to ensure it was back up to standard after Splendour.

Mapperley: Our Cleaning Teams worked hard to clear a persistently untidy alleyway near Pearmain Drive which was inaccessible due to overgrown vegetation and fly tipping. Work is being done to educate residents to dispose of rubbish responsibly and support them to keep it clear going forward.

Throughout July and August the theme from Love Food Hate Waste is Salad Days.

With the warmer weather, outdoor eating, picnics and BBQs, salad becomes the ideal meal. They are a great excuse to eat lots of our favourite foods in a fresh and interesting way. They are also a clever way to re-invent those leftovers and forgotten foods that would otherwise go to waste.

Our friends at Love Food Hate Waste have provided a series of tips and advice on how to make the most out of salad,  So for a few tips and inspiration on the endless possibilities of salad take a look at their Salad Days page. 

Love Food Hate Waste has introduced a fantastic new Food Waste Assistant to their website.

'Your Food Waste Assistant' offers a quick and easy way to help you to reduce food waste.

Simply use the online tool below to input the last item of food you threw away and why, and access practical solutions and tips to avoid wasting it next time. The tool has information on how to save over 600 food products, reducing your food waste and saving money.

You can check it out here 

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