Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Bulletin | 27 August 2021
Our regular email of tips to help you waste less and recycle more
Today's tips:
1. Reducing the amount of waste you produce is one of the best ways to cut your carbon footprint. A fifth of our waste is packaging – that’s five million tonnes of household packaging waste in the UK every year! Avoid unnecessary packaging by shopping locally, taking your own reusable bags and looking for refill options which use less packaging.
2. Here are some ideas for reusing packaging to reduce your waste:
- Use plastic ice cream tubs for storing leftover food in the fridge.
- Paint old jam jars with glass paints to make nightlights, or use them to store homemade chutneys.
- Use empty biscuit tins to store spare buttons or screws.
- Create works of art with your children using empty cereal boxes, crisp packets and plastic bottles.
- Grow seedlings in empty yogurt pots
- Your local Household Waste and Recycling Centre will accept many items your kerbside recycling collection can't.
2. Composting your kitchen and garden waste will also reduce the amount of waste you throw away or you can join our free food waste collection service
Bin collections next week
There will be no refuse or food waste collections in Lewes district on the August Bank Holiday, Monday 30 August.
Recycling and garden waste collections will take place according to your collection calendars. If you need a replacement you can download your recycling calendar or garden waste calendar
Thinking of paying someone to clear your waste? Always check their credentials and get a receipt
What happens next to your recycling?
 Viridor is the organisation that runs the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where all of the district's dry mixed recycling is sent.
Find out what happens at the local MRF and where the material produced goes next at: www.viridor.co.uk/waste-and-recycling/recycling/material-recycling-facilities
National Potato Day!
4.4 million potatoes go to waste in UK homes every day. Preventing this could help save as many greenhouse gas emissions as planting 5.3 million trees a year.
This National Potato Day (19 August), Love Food Hate Waste were reminding people to only buy what you’ll eat and think creatively about what you can do with the food in your cupboards.
Learn more about how you can cut down on food waste: www.lovefoodhatewaste.com
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New Countryside Code launched to help people enjoy the beautiful outdoors
A new, refreshed Countryside Code has been launched by Natural England and Natural Resources Wales, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the creation of the founding booklet.
With more people enjoying the outdoors than ever before, the code has been revised to help people enjoy countryside in a safe and respectful way.
The first Countryside Code booklet was published in 1951. This update - the first in over a decade - has been shaped by nearly 4,000 stakeholder responses to an online survey, which sought views on best practices for visiting the countryside and protecting the natural environment and saw a huge response.
Changes include advice on creating a welcoming environment, for example by saying hello to fellow visitors; clearer rules to underline the importance of clearing away dog poo; staying on footpaths; and not feeding livestock. It also provides advice on how to seek permissions for activities such as wild swimming.
Key changes to the Countryside Code include:
- New advice for people to ‘be nice, say hello, share the space’ as well as ‘enjoy your visit, have fun, make a memory’.
- A reminder not to feed livestock, horses or wild animals.
- To stay on marked footpaths, even if they are muddy, to protect crops and wildlife.
- Information on permissions to do certain outdoor activities, such as wild swimming.
- Clearer rules for dog walkers to take home dog poo and use their own bin if a there are no public waste bins.
- A refreshed tone of voice, creating a guide for the public rather than a list of rules – recognising the significant health and wellbeing benefits of spending time in nature.
- New wording to make clear that the code applies to all our natural places, including parks and waterways, coast and countryside.
To download the full code visit GOV.UK - Countryside Code
And finally....some kind words for the Environment First team!
Lewes residents Roger and Patricia have been in touch to praise our Environment First team!:
“We appreciate the way in which Lewes District Council has maintained rubbish, recycling and garden waste collections throughout the pandemic. It has been a fantastic service so thank you to all concerned.”
Thanks to Roger and Patricia for taking the time to contact us with these kind words and thanks of course to the brilliant team for their ongoing work to serve people across the district!
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